Soul Bonded
by Rainb0wNinja
Summary: When Fairy Tail gets an urgent request from a temple in Bosco, they have no choice but to go. In order to seal an ancient demon, two opposing forces must be used. Natsu and Gray's magic becomes more crucial than ever, but there's a catch. The two mages must become soul bonded. Torn between saving lives and giving their life to someone they hate, the boys have big decisions to make.
1. Chapter 1

Somewhere in a foreign land lies an old temple, guarded only by elderly monks who pray to a large statue every day. The statue looks innocent enough, a mere angel looking towards the sky. But it's what the angel is holding that holds significance. A medallion engraved with a flame colliding with ice. Today was no different, as a monk kneeled before the angel and prayed. But a sudden sound made him pause. Looking up, his eyes widened at seeing a single, miniscule crack in the medallion. As fast as his aged bones would allow, he ran through the temple, stopping in front of a large door with the same markings as the medallion. Without hesitation he burst through, looking around for the two inhabitants. A man wearing an elegant red kimono, and another man in blue, kneeled on two cushions sipping tea. They looked up in surprise at the sudden interruption.

"Forgive my rudeness, but it's happening again! The time has come to find the fated ones who can seal the beast!" He cried, struggling to catch his breath. The two men stood abruptly and shared a glance, nodding somberly before rushing to the statue.

"He speaks the truth. It has been another century, we must hurry." The man in blue said, eyes focused on the solitary crack in stone.

"Should we call upon a guild? There is one in particular who I think can help." The red-clad man said, looking to his partner knowingly. They both nodded, knowing for certain this guild had just what they needed and would never turn down someone in need.

"Renzou, send notice to the Fairy Tail guild at once, please. I believe they are the only ones who can help."

"Yes, sir, right away." The monk nodded, quickly rushing away as the two gazed at the statue. The crack grew ever so slightly.

"Kasai.." The man in blue muttered, hardly believing his eyes.

"I know, Shiro, something's not right. It's breaking at an alarming rate, much faster than last time. We'll need two strong mages if we want to seal it again." Kasai said, glancing over when his partner remained quiet. "What is it?"

He hesitated, and then said, "You're sure about this guild? How do you know they have what we need?"

"You doubt me?" He asked with a glare, "Fairy Tail is a well-known guild, even in our country. I've heard much about them, very good things mind you, and are positive they have everything we need and more."

"Che..so grumpy, like always."

"What did you say?!"

* * *

The guild was oddly quiet today as most people were lulled by the air of utter boredness. Hardly any decent jobs had come in and the ones that did were taken immediately. A handful of people were gone, making the guild quieter. Among the few people still there was Team Natsu in its entirety, all of whom couldn't believe they weren't on a job. A certain blonde Celestial Spirit mage in particular was on the verge of a break down.

"I have to pay rent this month, how am I supposed to do that with no money!?" She yelled, pacing around like a woman gone mad. The rest of her team sat at a table, watching dully at her antics.

"Quit yappin' already, you're loud." Natsu said, Happy giving an "Aye" in agreement. The blonde whipped around angrily, giving Natsu one of her many interesting faces.

"_You're_ calling _me_ loud?! Most of the time you don't shut up!" She retaliated, becoming annoyed at her team's bleak expressions. Even Erza was silent, content with eating her strawberry cake and shutting out the world.

"She's right Natsu, you're pretty annoying." Gray added, doing his best to avoid Juvia who was staring intently at him from the bar. He really wanted a job not for money, but to get away from the rain woman.

"Shut it popsicle, nobody asked you." Natsu growled, sending a glare towards his rival. Gray returned the glare with full force, getting ready for the inevitable fight this would lead to. "It's not my fault you suck so much, stupid flame-brain."

"At least I don't suck as much as you, droopy-eyed bastard!" Natsu raised his voice, fists clenching at his sides. It wasn't long before they were standing in front of each other, glaring menacingly and firing insults like ammo. It was the most excitement anyone had gotten all day. Little did they know it was about to get ruined.

"Oh yeah, slanty-eyes?! Prove it then!"

"I will you damn ice cube!"

"Quit standing there then and do something, pyromaniac!" Gray yelled, and just as Natsu was about to throw the first punch a giant hand came down on them, effectively stopping the fight and squishing them into the ground. Everyone looked up to the second floor where Master Makarov stood, a serious expression on his face.

"Natsu, Gray, I need to speak with you. The rest of you may come along as well." Makarov said, referring to Lucy, Erza and Happy. The five made their way to Makarov's office and waited to see what he had to say. Needless to say they were all curious. On a day like this, there weren't many reasons to get called into the Master's office.

"What's the problem, Master?" Erza was the first to break the silence, standing between Natsu and Gray to keep them quiet.

"This morning I received a flyer from a temple in Bosco asking for our help, specifically Natsu and Gray's." He began with a somewhat grim expression. The two boys perked up at this, wondering why they were needed.

"Bosco? Why would they ask us for help?" Erza asked, feeling more suspicious by the second. Getting requests from other country's wasn't too unusual, but they were usually S-class.

"There's a temple high in the mountains that guards a sacred medallion. It's actually a seal to keep the demon Behemoth away. Every century this seal needs refreshed, but it requires two opposing forces to do so."

"I see, so that's why they need Natsu and Gray." Erza said, beginning to put the pieces together. But it still seemed like something was missing.

"A demon? This sounds scary.." Lucy said softly, wondering why she had to go along too. "This sounds like an S-class job." She added. The Master nodded.

"Indeed it is, which is why Erza is going with you. The temple requested that only a small team goes, so nobody else but you five is allowed. They don't have much time before the seal breaks, so I want you to leave by tonight. Bosco borders Magnolia so getting there won't take that long. However the only way to get to the temple is by foot. It will take a few days to finally reach them."

"Master, you're not telling us something." Erza said, knowing the short man too well. He sighed and glanced away, knowing this would be the hardest part.

"I was going to let them tell you..but I suppose it's better to give you a heads up. Natsu, Gray, your magic is the only force that can stop this demon. It is crucial that you do what they tell you. However..in order for it to work, the mages must be in complete sync with each other. You have to work together perfectly or else it won't seal anything. In order to do this, you two must be bonded."

"Bonded..?" Natsu repeated slowly, not quite grasping the concept. Gray however wasn't taking it so lightly.

"How the hell are we supposed to bond? We hate each other! I'm never in sync with this idiot, and we definitely don't work together. Why do they need us anyways? I'm sure there are other mages whose magic is opposite."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. They don't have time to look for other mages, and we can't turn them down. Fairy Tail helps those in need. If this demon were to break free it would be a catastrophe. It's not called Behemoth for nothing. They have a certain ritual to bond two mages, and actually, they have two retired mages living there who have gone through the same thing. They use fire and ice magic as well. So maybe they can help since this surely won't be easy." The Master finished explaining, looking at Natsu who was oddly quiet. He expected more of a fight. "Natsu? What do you think?"

The boy paused for a moment, looking conflicted, but eventually that fiery determination came back. "I'm not happy about it either, but these people asked us for help and I won't let them down. If I have to deal with the Ice Princess for a little while then so be it."

"Why you little-"

"Thank you Master, we'll begin packing immediately." Erza interrupted, seeing another fight coming on. At this point they didn't have any time to dawdle, this was serious. If that demon were to break free it could destroy all of Bosco and eventually Fiore. She wouldn't allow that to happen.

"See to it then, and don't waste any time. They're offering a good reward so be on your best behavior!"

"Yes, Master!" They said in unison, scurrying down to the first floor so they can go their separate ways and pack. The short man watched them go, smiling at their anxiousness. He knew they would get the job done, but there would be plenty of complications.

"Those boys don't know what they're in for." He chuckled, glancing at the long note the temple had sent him. He did leave out one very important detail, since he knew neither Natsu nor Gray would agree to it. They will have to bond, but it meant more than just "dealing with each other." They would be bonded by their very souls and be forever attached until they die. It was actually a very intimate ritual, one he was sure they would hate. But they didn't have a choice.

If they didn't go through with it, the demon could destroy all of Earth Land.

* * *

**So yeah..started another fic when I have three unfinished ones. Good job me -_- But I haven't focused on Gratsu in forever, and this idea won't leave me alone. It's gonna get pretty intense later on. I mean, the world's fate depends on these two essentially falling in love. Those aren't very good odds O_O But it'll work out, eventually. I figured the only logical way these two could ever end up together is if the world depended on it and they had no choice. Pretty messed up but..meh. Still Gratsu eventually.**


	2. Chapter 2

The moon illuminated the night sky as Natsu made his way towards the train station, Happy walking next to him. It didn't take him very long to pack considering he didn't own much. He only wished he could have gone to see Wendy so she could cast Troia on him. But since they were in a hurry, he figured it would be wise to just forget it, even though he really didn't want to ride the train. Bosco wasn't that far anyways, he could just walk there. Or he _would_ if they weren't on a time limit. Natsu knew the importance of this mission and realized sealing this demon wasn't an option. He would do whatever it took to save the world, including bonding with Gray, though he still wasn't sure what that meant.

"Happy, what do you think I'll have to do with Gray? I mean, bonding means hanging out with someone, right?" He decided to ask the Exceed since he sure as hell wasn't getting any answers by himself.

"I think so. But I don't think you're allowed to fight him. Bonding usually means being nice to someone while you're with them." The blue cat replied, looking up at Natsu with his big eyes.

"Makes sense. That would explain why Master didn't want to tell us, he knows we don't get along. But it's not like I would let that get in the way of saving an entire country. Doesn't he know that?"

"Maybe he's not telling you something." Happy said, causing Natsu to pause for a moment. It wasn't unlikely that Makarov would hide something from him, but in a situation like this, he was certain the old man wouldn't do that.

"Like what though?"

"I don't know, maybe this bonding thing means something else. He did say there was a ritual for it."

"Hmm..you're right about that. I'm pretty sure there isn't a ritual for normal bonding..is there?" He asked, sharing a confused look with Happy before shrugging it off and continuing their walk. While Natsu did have a bad feeling about this, he was positive Master wouldn't keep something important from him.

_And anyways, I can handle anything from that stripper!_

With a confident grin, the two entered the station and immediately spotted Erza with her massive amount of luggage. As he walked closer Natsu also realized Lucy and Gray were already there, making him the last one to arrive. _Hopefully Erza won't be mad!_

"There you are Natsu." Erza said, a slightly irritated tone to her voice. Natsu broke out in a nervous sweat. "The train is leaving now, we need to hurry."

"A-Aye!" He squeaked, helping to load all of the luggage onto the train before collapsing in a seat, already feeling sick.

"Don't worry Natsu, it should only take a few hours to get there." Lucy said, making sure to sit a good distance from the pinkette in case he threw up. Gray took a seat next to her, watching Natsu curl up into a ball next to Erza.

"You better not puke on me sulfur breath." He said, glaring at the prone form of his rival.

"Wait..until we get off..this train!" Natsu half growled half whined, gagging as vomit threatened to erupt from his throat.

"Natsu, be quiet. Gray, don't push it." Erza said, effectively quieting the two boys. She then took out a map of Bosco that she bought specifically for this mission. "We're going to get off here," She said, pointing to a spot on the map, "And then begin walking northeast. The temple is high up so we'll be doing some hiking. We can't waste any time finding a hotel so it looks like we'll have to set up camp in the forest sometime tonight."

"Camping in a forest? I didn't pack for that!" Lucy said, not liking the idea of camping. _Who knows what's out there? There could be wild animals, or monsters, or bugs!_

"I packed more than enough Lucy, I'm sure you'll be fine." Erza said, watching as the blonde became more and more distraught. Lucy's face paled as she pictured what kind of things Erza had packed. _Am I going to sleep in armor tonight?!_

"So how long should it take us to get there?" Gray asked, wanting to get this mission over with as fast as possible. The idea of bonding with Natsu still bothered him, especially since he had no idea what kind of bonding they would have to do. He really didn't even see the point of it, why couldn't they just seal the demon without it?

"If we go as fast as we can and only rest when absolutely necessary, it should take roughly two days. I'm hoping to arrive there sometime at night, so we should only have to camp out once."

"I'm liking this less and less." Lucy sighed, knowing Erza would push them to the limit. The idea of sprinting uphill through a forest until you drop didn't exactly sound appealing to her, but she supposed they had no choice.

"It will be difficult, but we must do what we have to in order to seal this demon. Once we arrive at the temple I'm sure they'll give us a place to rest. After all, Natsu and Gray will be doing most of the work from that point on."

"Hey that's right, they need you're magic not ours. Which means we can sit back and relax while you two _bond_!" Lucy said, laughing as Gray made a very unamused face.

"Don't remind me." He grumbled, once again glaring at Natsu as if it were his fault. The dragon slayer merely groaned, his face an odd shade of green.

"Don't be so negative. You're magic is important, you should be honored to help. Besides, it wouldn't kill either one of you to get along for once." Erza said, giving Gray a stern look. The ice mage promptly shrunk down, gulping nervously.

"Y-yeah, you're right."

"I'm..already dying.."

"Shut up Natsu!

* * *

After arriving in Bosco, Team Natsu began walking at a fast pace towards the forest. From their view point they could see the mountain where the temple was, but it was very high. There were so many trees that they couldn't see the temple but they knew approximately where to go. Now that he wasn't on a train Natsu was back to his normal self, determined to be the first one to get there.

"Natsu, we need to stay together!" Erza yelled, watching as Natsu disappeared behind the trees. With a sigh they quickened their pace, eventually catching up to the dragon slayer.

"Natsu you idiot, you can't walk ahead like that!" Gray yelled at him, punching him straight in the face.

"Well maybe you should walk faster, ice-pop!" Natsu yelled back, quickly returning the punch with a flaming fist. Before they could start fighting Erza grabbed both of their heads and slammed them together, watching as they fell to the ground in pain.

"Both of you will be quiet and get along or I'll personally feed you to this demon!" The requip mage growled, causing the two to jump and hug each other with frightened expressions.

"Aye sir!" They both said, waiting until Erza was a good distance ahead to start fighting again.

"You know, for a forest this is pretty steep." Lucy said, already feeling tired from the uphill walking. Erza merely quickened her pace, knowing it wouldn't be long before they would need a break. They needed to get as far as possible before then.

"That's because we're already on the mountain. It only gets steeper from here, so we'll need to stay strong." She replied, stopping as she noticed how quiet it had gotten. Looking behind her she realized why. "Where did they go?"

"Hm?" Lucy also spun around, noticing the lack of Natsu and Gray. Even Happy was gone. "Wha?! Where are they?!"

"Natsu! Gray! Get back here this instant!" Erza yelled, a tick mark forming on her forehead when nobody answered. At this rate they would never get there.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Lucy asked, straining her ears to make sure she wasn't going crazy. Erza did the same, eyes widening when she heard..water?

"It's coming from over there." Lucy said, pointing to her left. The two walked that way until they reached a small clearing where a hot spring was hidden. Both Natsu and Gray were already relaxing in it.

"Oh, hey guys! Look what we found!" Natsu said, oblivious to the fact that now wasn't the time to be relaxing. They had only just started walking!

"Natsu, this isn't-"

"Waah! We have to stay here!" Lucy squealed, effectively cutting Erza off. The redhead watched in dismay as Lucy began fishing through her luggage for what she assumed to be a bathing suit.

"Lucy, we need to get closer to the temple before we stop." Erza said, ignoring the small part of her that wanted to relax in the hot water like everyone else.

"But Erza, this spot is perfect! There won't be any other spots like this!" The blonde replied with a pout, wishing Erza would relax sometimes.

"I know, but we can't afford to waste any time."

"Come on Erza, you know you want to!" Natsu said from his spot beside Gray, scarf wrapped around his head so it wouldn't get wet. She was about to berate him for wandering off in the first place when she realized that for once the two were next to each other without fighting. They even looked happy.

_If they need to get along for this mission, then it wouldn't hurt to start now. I suppose if this lets them do that.._

"Alright, fine, but we're leaving first thing in the morning." She said with a resigned sigh, not willing to admit that she really wanted to relax too. She requiped into a bikini and made herself comfortable in the little pool of water, feeling her muscles relax instantly.

"This feels great." Lucy said, sinking lower until only her face was above water. Erza nodded her head in agreement, mind wandering back to the mission. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Am I the only one who feels like Master didn't tell us something?" Natsu asked, placing his scarf on a nearby rock.

"I've been thinking the same thing." Erza replied, surprised that Natsu had actually caught on. He was usually oblivious to so many things.

"Really? Like what?" Lucy asked, looking confused. She had thought Makarov was being completely honest with them. Then again, she was too focused on how creepy the demon might look like, so she might have missed it.

"It's about Natsu and I, isn't it?" Gray asked, surprised that he wasn't the only one who felt like that. Erza and Natsu both nodded in agreement.

"Natsu and I were talking about it earlier. It seems like Master didn't want us to know something." Happy said, watching as Natsu narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"It's definitely about the bonding thing, I just can't figure out what. I don't know why he would do that though. We need to know everything for this mission, it could be crucial. I just hope whatever it is, it's not serious."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out once we get to the temple. He did say that two retired mages live there and that they went through the same experience, so I think you two should talk to them first." Lucy said, curious about the bonding herself. She liked the idea of her two friends getting along for once, but now that she thought about it, something really did seem off.

"Yeah, you're right. There's no point in worrying about it now. Right now we just need to focus on getting up this mountain." Natsu agreed, hopping out of the spring to dry off. The others followed, setting up two tents that Erza brought. For once they were glad that she over packed, since nobody else had planned on camping.

"Lucy and I will share a tent. That leaves you three boys, and I do expect you to behave. If I hear one bit of arguing you'll be sleeping out in the open." Erza said, a dark aura surrounding her body. The three nodded quickly, muttering a frightened "Aye" before scurrying into their tent. It was a little cramped, but they could manage.

"Damn, I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. Climbing this mountain is a bitch." Gray said, staring up at the ceiling of the tent.

"Che, can't handle it droopy-eyes?" Natsu replied with a smirk, enjoying the angered face he got in return.

"Shut up flame-brain, we can't argue remember? You can sleep outside if you want, but I definitely don't."

"I don't really mind it. Igneel and I used to sleep outside every night. It's actually pretty nice." Natsu said with a shrug, mind wandering back to his foster father. Gray went quiet for a moment, wondering if he should ask about it before deciding it couldn't hurt.

"Do you think you'll ever find him?"

"I know I will. Igneel is still out there somewhere, just like Metalicana and Grandeeney. I won't give up until I find him." Natsu replied, a determined look in his eyes. Gray couldn't help but smile at that. Natsu never changed.

"Yeah, and we'll help you, just like we'll help Gajeel and Wendy."

"Thanks, popsicle." Natsu looked over at Gray, a genuine smile on his face. Gray returned it, ignoring the insult for now.

"No problem pyro. Now let's get some sleep, we're gonna need it."

As the two drifted off, Happy lay between them, slowly getting lulled to sleep by the comfortable temperature between the two mages. Natsu kept it from getting too cold, while Gray made sure it wasn't too hot. Being between them was the best spot to be in. He couldn't help but wonder why their magic went so well together while also being so conflicting.

In the end, he was too tired to care.

* * *

**So no Gratsu yet, but it's coming. Oh, it's definitely coming.. *Cue evil laughter***


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the support, you guys are awesome!**

* * *

The sun had just barely started to rise when Erza decided to wake everyone up. They packed quickly despite being exhausted and were now continuing their journey to the temple. It didn't take long before the mountain became steeper and walking became a challenge. Lucy found it hard to keep from slipping since the angle was so high up. They had no idea how close they even were since the trees were so high. Despite Erza saying they would go as fast as possible, they were actually going very slow right now. For once the requip mage wished she wouldn't have packed so much.

"My legs are killing me." Lucy groaned after another twenty minutes of walking, wanting nothing more than to take a break. But they had only been walking for a few hours and there was no way Erza would allow a break so soon.

"Really? I feel fine." Happy replied, perched on Natsu's shoulder with a satisfied look in his feline eyes.

"Some of us don't have a free ride, damn cat!" She yelled, going quiet as Erza suddenly stopped ahead of them. It didn't take much to realize why she had stopped.

"You're kidding me.." Gray muttered, staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him. This had to be some kind of sick joke.

"How are we supposed to get there now?" Natsu asked, wondering why the temple wouldn't warn them about this. The mountain had gotten so steep that it was practically a vertical wall, and the only way up would involve some rock climbing.

"With all of our stuff, this is impossible. This is a really high wall too. Happy, can you fly us?" Natsu asked, looking to his partner in desperation.

"No way! I can only carry one person at a time, and this would take forever!" The blue Exceed exclaimed, nearly crying at the mere thought of carrying everyone up to the top of the cliff.

"Fly..?" Erza murmured, an idea coming to mind. She glanced up again, unsure if it would work, but she had to try. In a sudden flash of light she requiped into her Black Wing Armor. "This armor allows me to fly, but only for short distances. I'm not sure if it will make it all the way up so I'll test it out alone. If it works I'll come back for you."

"And if it doesn't?" Gray asked, shrinking back as she suddenly glared at him.

"Then you better catch me, or else!" She growled, facing the cliff and taking off. They watched as she disappeared above the trees, hoping she didn't suddenly come crashing back down. The longer they waited, the more nervous they became. Then after what seemed like forever, she burst through the trees, thankfully still flying.

"Just as I thought, it's very high, but I can make it. Happy, you can make it too, so I want you to help. Take some of our luggage and we'll meet you up there." Erza said, glancing at her cart with a determined expression. She would carry it and her team all the way up in one trip so she wouldn't waste any time.

"You three, take what you can and come with me." She said, watching as Happy grabbed Natsu's bag and began flying upwards. Lucy uncertainly took her bags and approached Erza, squeaking as the redhead grabbed her with one arm. Gray was next to come, gulping nervously as he too was pulled in. Natsu paused, wondering how the hell this was supposed to work.

"Natsu, you get on my back. I'm going to fly with Lucy and Gray in my arms." She said, causing everyone to try to escape. But Erza had a strong grip and a threatening glare, which is how they ended up clinging to her for dear life as they soared above the forest. From this height they could see everything, even where the temple was situated between all of the greenery.

"We'll be there by nightfall." Erza said, nearly crushing her friends in her strong hold. The top of the cliff was close, but Erza felt herself weakening from exhausting her magic. To make matters worse, Natsu felt himself losing his grip since Erza's wings kept moving.

"Uh, guys, I'm kinda slipping back here." He said nervously, glancing down and then wishing he hadn't. They were a lot higher than he thought.

"Just hold on, we're almost there!" Erza said, going as fast as possible. They were so close, but her armor was already fading away.

"I'm trying, but- shit!" Natsu yelled as his hand suddenly slipped, and he was thrown into the open air, frantically trying to grab onto something.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted, shifting in Erza's arm to reach around and grab Natsu's hand, nearly missing it. The two held on with everything they had until finally Erza crash landed on the top of the cliff, just as the last of her armor disappeared. Happy watched them with worried eyes, knowing that had been too close. The group stayed like that, laying on the ground and trying to catch their breath for a few moments until they finally managed to stand up and gather their luggage.

"Can we take a break now?" Lucy groaned, feeling more than exhausted after that.

"No! We're almost there, if we stop now we won't get there by night." Erza said, taking a few steps before suddenly falling. Lucy rushed over; sighing as she realized Erza was asleep.

"She pushed herself too hard, we could have died. It's time to take a break." She said, dragging Erza into some shade and sitting on a rock. Natsu looked to Gray, an oddly serious expression on his face.

"Hey..thanks for saving me, strip- I mean, Gray." He said, heart still pounding from his near death experience.

"Don't mention it..that was way too close. What the hell was she thinking?" He wondered, looking back at Erza who remained unconscious.

"She knew what she was doing. This is Erza we're talking about, she would never do something unless she was sure it would work."

"She over exerted herself just to make sure we all got up here safely. Honestly, she's so stubborn. But I'm glad it's over with." Gray sighed, also taking a seat on the ground and pulling out some food. It didn't take long before they were all eating, Natsu more like an animal. A few hours passed before Erza woke up again, furious that she had fallen asleep. They then began walking at an even faster pace, encountering a few monsters on the way. Erza quickly disposed of them, not wanting to waste any more time. By the time they finally reached the temple it was dark outside, and they were all thoroughly spent. After knocking on the temple gates, an elderly man let them in, noticing their disheveled states and apologizing over and over.

"My name is Renzou, by the way. I'm happy that you got here so soon, the medallion is breaking rather quickly. I will show it to you first and then you may get situated in your rooms." The monk said, leading them through several hallways and then out into a courtyard where two men stood by a statue. The men looked younger than the other monks, but were still quite old.

"Masters, the members from Fairy Tail have arrived." Renzou said, bowing to the two who quickly looked up and smiled.

"Ah, very good. I expected you would get here quickly." The man in red said, watching as Team Natsu walked over to the statue.

"I assume this is the seal?" Erza asked, noticing the rather large crack in the stone. The two nodded somberly, directing their attention to Natsu and Gray.

"I'm sure your Master already told you, but it is very important that we seal the demon away. We will begin the ritual tomorrow once you are rested. Ah, but where are my manners? I am Shiro, and this is my partner Kasai. We were the last mages who sealed Behemoth away one hundred years ago." The man in blue said, laughing at their confused and shocked faces.

"Partners?!" Gray shrieked, wondering if that meant what he thought it did.

"You're that old?!" Natsu yelled, hardly believing anyone could live that long.

"Natsu, that's rude! Although it is pretty unbelievable.." Lucy muttered, glancing at the two men again. They didn't look like they would be over a hundred years old.

"Can you tell us what exactly this ritual is? Our Master mentioned some kind of bonding but he was sort of vague about it." Erza asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"You mean Makarov didn't tell you? We left him a very detailed note. But I suppose it makes sense, he knew you wouldn't agree if you knew the full details." Kasai said, noticing how Natsu and Gray grew tense. They had obviously been thinking about this non-stop.

"And what are these..details?" Gray dared to ask, not liking this mission more and more.

"Ah..where to begin. In order to re-seal Behemoth two opposing forces must be used, such as fire and ice magic. Nothing else in the world is strong enough. Before I even explain anything else, I have to make sure you know how important it is to seal this demon. He very well could destroy everything. But the two mages who seal him must be bonded or else their magic won't be strong enough, and it won't blend as it should." Shiro explained, looking to Kasai who began explaining the rest.

"The actual ritual is somewhat complex. I'm not quite sure how to say this..but you two will essentially have to become united as a couple and share each other's magic. There is no other way to do this. You will become bound together by your hearts and souls and forever be one, just as Shiro and I are. There are several different activities to help you bond, as it is very difficult." Kasai finished, noticing how Natsu looked stunned beyond reason and Gray was shaking in barely controlled rage.

"You're trying to tell me that I'm basically being forced to give the rest of my_ life_ to him, share _my_ magic, and somehow..fall in_ love_ with him in the process? Are you out of your damn minds?!" Gray yelled, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Gray, calm down!" Lucy said softly, not used to seeing her friend so angry.

"How am I supposed to calm down?! Natsu and I barely get along as friends, and now we're supposed to give each other our hearts? Our _souls_?! I could never love him, I'm not even gay! This is fucked up!"

"Gray, you need to show some respect. This isn't their fault and if you don't do it this demon will kill us all. Do you want a repeat of Deliora?" Erza asked, giving Gray a stern look. Just hearing Deliora's name had Gray seeing his town destroyed and everyone he knew and loved dead.

"No..I could never want that.." He growled, calming down slightly. He knew there was no option, but that only made everything worse. He could never put himself before his friends and the rest of the world, but this was so much to take in. _I've never felt more conflicted in my whole life._

"I'll do it." Natsu suddenly said, his voice low but his eyes determined. Gray stared at him in shock. How could he be so calm about it, and agree to it so quickly?

"Don't give me that look, I'm doing this for all of Earthland. I'm sure as hell not happy about it either. This was the last thing I ever expected to do, but dammit..I can't let everyone die! There _is_ no other choice! If I have to be with you, bound by my heart and soul and share my magic with you..then I'll fucking do it!" He yelled, fists igniting with flames.

"Very well then, you'll begin in the morning. Renzou, please show them to their rooms. Natsu, Gray, please get as much sleep as possible. Tomorrow will surely be a long day." Shiro said, watching as the group left. He then turned to Kasai, a knowing look in his eyes.

"They're just like us, aren't they? You reacted the same way as Natsu did."

"And you were just as angry and confused as Gray. They're exactly like us, which means this is going to be a long and painful process. But I see the determination in them. They will seal Behemoth, and learn that loving each other isn't as impossible as it seems."

"..I can't wait to see how pissed they are when they see what we have planned for tomorrow." Shiro said with a laugh, walking away from the statue with his husband who shook his head.

"You're evil, Shiro. But so am I."

* * *

**And it begins XD Now that you all have an idea of what's going to happen, I'm sure you get why this is going to suck for Natsu and Gray. But the Gratsu will be epic O_O**


	4. Chapter 4

Renzou had seen many things in his long life, some being terrifying and others being truly beautiful. Just one century ago he witnessed an unbelievably strong demon nearly break free and destroy the world- which was terrifying. Yet he also witnessed the joining of two people who learned to love each other in the worst situation- which was beautiful. At his age, he doubted anything would scare him again, unless of course Behemoth came close to breaking free. Yet standing in the same room with two pissed off powerful mages was making him rethink that theory. The temple he lived in wasn't very big, so naturally space was limited. Meaning there were only so many rooms. Meaning guests would have to share a room. Meaning..well, you see where this is going. He was merely doing his job and escorting the mages to their rooms, and the girls had no problem sharing. But the boys..that was a completely different story.

Which is how he ended up standing in between Natsu's scorching heat and Gray's blistering cold as they glared hatefully at their new room.

"This has to be a joke. If it wasn't bad enough already, now you're telling me I have to share a _room_ with this idiot. Do you know how loud he snores? I won't get any sleep!" Gray yelled, turning to fix his glare on Natsu who returned it with full force.

"Oh, and you _don't_ snore? I'm the one who won't get any sleep! And watch who you're calling idiot, you idiot!" Natsu yelled back, the flames already surrounding his fists growing larger. Renzou backed away slowly with a nervous laugh.

"Now now, no need to use magic."

"Oh, nice come back you stupid flame-brain!" Gray yelled, completely ignoring Renzou.

"Droopy eyed bastard!"

"Sulfur breath!"

"Ice Princess!"

"Pyro-" Gray was cut off mid-insult as the door to their room suddenly slammed open, revealing a tired and angry looking Erza. That was all it took for the two to stop arguing and jump into each other's arms.

"Both of you..shut up now or face the consequences. We're exhausted from the trip and need sleep, and if we don't get it, SOMEONE will pay. Are we clear?" She asked, a sword appearing in her hand

"A-Aye sir!" They both chirped, sighing in relief as her sword vanished and she stomped back to her and Lucy's room. As soon as she was gone they jumped away from each other and resumed glaring.

"Well..if that's all, I'll leave you to get settled. Please, do try to get some rest, and try to avoid using magic inside. We can't really afford to fix any damage." Renzou said, glad that the fighting was over for now.

"We won't destroy anything; it would be rude of us to cause any problems for you guys since you're giving us a place to stay. Thanks for everything, really." Gray said, sobering from his earlier rage and remembering his manners. Renzou smiled at that and took his leave, hoping he wouldn't get woken up in the middle of the night because half of the temple was gone.

Once he was gone, Happy looked up at Natsu with a slightly nervous look. He felt the same as Renzou. "Oi, Natsu..I'm gonna stay with Erza and Lucy."

"EH?! Why, Happy?" Natsu asked in confusion. He didn't want to be alone with Gray, especially since they were supposed to..bond.

"Because I want to sleep. Besides..you two need to get along. I can't get in the way of that!" He said with a wink, laughing at Natsu's enraged face as he flew out of the room. The fire mage angrily slammed the door, leaving the two finally alone.

"Alright, we're going over some rules before we do anything else. You stay on your side of the bed and I'll stay on mine. If you cross that line I'll freeze you to your side. If you make a mess you're cleaning it, because I've seen your house and I'm NOT dealing with that. We obviously can't fight like we usually do, so keep your idiocy low and we should be fine." Gray said, already beginning the subconscious process of stripping.

"Alright, then you're not allowed to strip. If I see you walking around naked I'll set you on fire." Natsu said, knowing it would be nearly impossible for Gray to not strip.

"Fine then. I'm going to shower and when I get back there better not be a mess."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say Princess." Natsu grumbled, smirking as Gray thought about yelling but then remembered Erza. As the ice mage stepped into the bathroom connected to the bedroom, Natsu's mind wandered back to the real reason they were here. He knew there was more than one reason why he and Gray had to share a room. They were supposed to get closer, to somehow fall in love. That wasn't going to happen. He had no intention of falling in love with Gray. He would find a way to seal this demon without loving Gray.

"Me and that popsicle could never love each other. I don't even like guys, much less him." He muttered, shaking his head at the mere idea. It's not that he hated Gray, they were friends, but they could never be..romantic with each other. "Hell, I've never even dated anyone before. I always thought I would end up with Lisanna, but then I met Luce and..well, she doesn't seem to like me anyways. Come to think of it, there have been a lot of times I could have tried something with Lucy but it didn't even occur to me. I wonder why?" He asked himself, deciding to just shrug it off. This was just another mission, a very important one, and he would do his job.

"That's all it is, a job." He said, going quiet as he heard the bathroom door open. Gray walked out, for once not stark naked, but only wearing a pair of boxers. Natsu mentally shook his head, knowing this was going to be a long and hard mission.

"Showers open if you need it." He said, hopping into bed and getting comfortable. Natsu wordlessly entered the bathroom and turned the water on, waiting until it was completely hot before shedding his clothes and stepping in. He wondered what kind of day they would have tomorrow.

"What kind of things can they possibly make us do? I know we have to learn each other's magic..is that even possible? I've never heard of someone doing that. And anyways, I don't want to learn his stupid ice-make. And he definitely doesn't deserve to know Igneel's magic. Ugh, but if we don't we can't seal the demon. Maybe I can just forget ice-make when this is all over."

Meanwhile, Gray was having the same thoughts. He didn't understand how this was supposed to work, and quite frankly he didn't want to find out. Sharing his heart and soul with Natsu was disturbing enough, but his magic too? The magic Ur taught him? And how was he supposed to learn Dragon Slayer Magic? He was pretty sure that was impossible. Only a dragon could teach someone, right?

"Too many questions." He grumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. He really just wanted to sleep, but not next to Natsu. Sure they've slept in the same room before, but not like this. He just knew they would end up too close at some point. He moved around a lot, and was pretty sure Natsu did too. This was surely going to lead to an awkward moment, followed by a fight, and then getting beat up by Erza.

"Maybe I could sleep on the floor?" He wondered, glancing down at the uncomfortable looking ground. "Eh..maybe not. Besides, if anyone's going to be on the floor, it's going to be him." Gray said, eyes flicking to the door as Natsu stepped out, dressed in his usual clothes.

"You sleep in that too?" Gray asked, finding that hard to believe. Then again, it was Natsu.

"No, but we can't both be in nothing but boxers." He replied, sending Gray a look that clearly said he wasn't happy about this.

"Good point. Sucks for you then." Gray said with a smirk, dodging the expected punch. "Oi, watch it! We can't fight, remember? Erza will kill us."

"Then shut up, stupid stripper. Let's just go to sleep." Natsu grumbled, making sure to stay as far away from Gray as possible. They were both so close to the edge, it looked like they would fall off any second.

"If I wake up and you're anywhere near me, I will kill you." Gray said, turning off the bedside lamp and enveloping the room in darkness.

"Same goes for you, ice bastard." Natsu replied, knowing there was no way he would get close to Gray. With that last threat hanging in the air, the two drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Gray woke up hot, which never happened, and immediately knew why. He should have known the damn flame-brain would be the one to cross the line. However, when he turned around to push the Dragon Slayer away, his blue eyes widened. He was on Natsu's side. That was the fastest he'd ever gotten out of bed before. Thankfully Natsu is a deep sleeper, or else he would have gotten caught. Just as he composed himself, there was a knock at the door, and he answered it without caring if he was dressed or not.

"Ah, good morning Master Fullbuster. I've come to tell you that breakfast is ready, and after that we will begin the bonding process. When you and Master Dragneel are ready, please come to the dining room."Renzou said, ignoring the fact that Gray was nearly naked.

"Thanks, we'll be right there." Gray replied, turning and shooting a ball of ice at Natsu's head, effectively waking him.

"What the hell, Gray?!" Natsu yelled, shaking the offending substance from his hair. Gray merely began putting some clothes on.

"It's time to eat, get up." He said, going into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Natsu sighed angrily, wanting to sleep more, but managed to force himself out of bed. He already hated today.

After brushing their teeth, the two managed to find the dining room. Lucy and Erza were already there, along with Shiro and Kasai. All four of them had the same look on their face, like they were hiding something. Gray didn't like that. They joined the others and began eating, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of being stared at. Finally, Natsu napped.

"What the hell is everyone looking at?" He asked, wondering if there was something on his face.

"Oh, nothing. We're just excited for today." Lucy said, smirking in a way that made Natsu cringe. Nothing about that sounded good.

"And why, dare I ask, is that?" Gray said, a knot beginning to form in his stomach.

"You'll see soon enough" Erza said, causing Gray to sigh in annoyance. Why were they enjoying this so much? Did they like seeing two people suffer?

"Can we at least have some sort of hint?" Natsu asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"You'll be going out into the forest to retrieve something." Kasai said, watching as Natsu's face fell in disappointment.

"That's not a very good hint." He said flatly, "And how is that supposed to help us bond?"

"Like Erza said, you'll see soon enough." Lucy said with a giggle, finding the faces Natsu and Gray were making too funny. It may not sound important, but they would actually be going into a very dangerous part of the forest and would have to work together to retrieve this mysterious item. From what Shiro told her, this was how Kasai and himself began to fall in love because of something that happened in this forest. She hoped Natsu and Gray would have the same experience, because honestly, she was beginning to like the idea of her two friends being together.

She always did secretly like yaoi.

* * *

**I know, I took forever, but it's not my fault! School and work have just been taking up all of my time. I tried making this a longer chapter to make up for it, but my brain just wouldn't let me. So, I guess I'm just awful. Sorry T_T**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reviewing, everyone! You're the best!**

* * *

Natsu and Gray stared at the path ahead of them which lead to yet another forest, one that apparently guarded a sacred item to the temple. They had been told nothing about said item, had no idea what it looked like or where it was, and were not allowed to bring anything with them. They would have to rely solely on each other. If that wasn't already a recipe for disaster, they were supposed to return to the temple within a day. Oh, and the forest was riddled with monsters. So, needless to say the two were less than thrilled.

"So what happens if we're not back in time?" Natsu asked, wondering how this was supposed to work. The forest covered the entire freaking country, how were they supposed to find one unknown item?

"You WILL be back here in time or you'll face my wrath. We're on a time limit, in case you forgot." Erza said, a menacing aura surrounding her armor clad body. That was all Natsu needed to hear before he was sprinting in to the forest, a more reluctant Gray following him.

"Um..didn't you guys forget to tell them that they can't use magic?" Lucy hesitantly asked, hoping her friends would be okay. But the temple desperately needed them, so surely they wouldn't let anything too bad happen..right?

"Oh, they'll figure it out." Kasai responded, an evil grin plastered on his and Shiro's faces. Lucy gulped, looking back to where her friends had run off to. She was starting to doubt this temples sanity.

Gray finally managed to catch up to Natsu who still looked frightened by Erza's threat. Looking around, he noticed there was only one path. Did it lead to what they had to find? That seemed too easy. He could already sense something weird about this place.

"You noticed it too?" Natsu asked, seeing the confused look on Gray's face. He sensed it as well. It almost seemed like they were being..restricted somehow.

"Yeah. I can't say for sure what it is, but we need to keep our guards up. Let's just stay on this path and hope it leads to whatever it is we're looking for. I want to get this over with as fast as possible." Gray responded, his blue eyes looking around as if expecting something to jump out at them.

"Me too, we are on a time limit here, and I really don't want to piss Erza off. But why would they make it this simple? Maybe we're not supposed to stay on the path."

"If we start wandering off we'll get lost, and then Erza really will get mad. We're staying on the path."

"Oh, so you're in charge now?" Natsu asked, shooting a glare towards Gray. He hated when the ice-mage acted like he knew better.

"Well I am smarter than you, so yeah, I think I am in charge. You got a problem with that?" Gray asked, dodging as Natsu threw the first punch. He quickly retaliated and landed a kick to Natsu's side, only to get hit in the jaw.

"Hell yeah I do! Since when are you smarter than me?!"

"Um, since always?!"

"Yeah right! That's it, get ready to die ice bastard!" Natsu yelled, preparing to ignite his fist with flames.

"Bring it fire face!" Gray yelled, getting into an ice-make stance. Yet a few seconds passed and nothing happened. Anger completely forgotten, the two began to panic.

"What the hell? I can't use my magic!" Natsu cried, waving his arms around as if that would help.

"Me either! Don't tell me this forest blocks magic somehow! Those old bastards didn't tell us that!" Gray yelled, doing the same as Natsu. They both went completely quiet as a low growl rumbled behind them. Slowly they turned, only to see pairs of red eyes glaring at them from the shadows.

"Uh..Gray?" Natsu asked, turning to face Gray only to find an empty space where the teen should be. "GAH! You left me behind?!" He yelled, running off after Gray who could be seen in the distance.

"We don't have magic, how are we supposed to fight all these monsters?!" Gray yelled, stopping as he suddenly came to a crossroad. "Oh come on! Which way do we go?!" He yelled in frustration, only to be grabbed by Natsu as he ran by.

"No time to choose, we go this way!" Natsu yelled as he dragged Gray, running for what felt like hours. Finally they came to a stop as the path lead to a small pond. "Let's rest here for a bit, I need a break."

"Is this country full of shitty forests or something?" Gray muttered, splashing some water on his face. He blinked as something dark moved beneath the surface, wondering if he imagined that. Before he could think about it he was being dragged away at high speed yet again, just in time to see a giant piranha bite at the space he had been.

"Goddammit! We can't even find a place to rest!" Natsu yelled as he continued running, his sharp eyes staying alert for any more unwanted surprises. Gray was lucky he had such a good sense of smell, or else he would have been eaten. That pond smelled like poison. But they were away from it now, so why did he still smell it? "Wait a minute..oh shit, Gray!"

"W-what?" Gray asked, wondering why Natsu sounded so panicked. Sure, he just nearly became fish food, but still.

"You put that shit on your face, didn't you?!"

"What shit? The water?"

"It was poison, idiot! I can still smell it!"

"P-POISON?!" Gray shrieked, frantically wiping his face as his vision started to blur. "Oh fuck, it got in my eyes!"

"Fuck! We need to find somewhere to stop!" Natsu yelled, looking around for something to at least sit Gray on. He spotted a large rock under some trees and decided it didn't look or smell dangerous, so he settled for that. "Okay, let me see." He said, kneeling in front of Gray to look in his eyes.

"S-shit, I can't see anything!" Gray said in a panicked voice, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear his vision. Everything had gotten blurry, and then turned white, and now his vision was completely black.

Natsu leaned in closer, trying to see if anything was in Gray's eyes. "I don't see anything wrong with them, but you definitely reek of poison. Fuck..I don't know what to do."

"I-is it permanent? I don't want to be blind forever! Fuck, why did I have to do that?!"

"It's not your fault. Besides, I don't think they would let us in here without warning us about that, which means it can't be permanent. It's probably meant to help us bond or whatever."

"That's so stupid.." Gray grumbled, knowing it was true. He would have to depend on Natsu now since he had no idea where to go. "But we can't stay here, let's keep going."

"Alright. Um..should I carry you or..?" Natsu asked, not sure how this would work. They needed to walk fast, it would be easier to carry him so he wouldn't be stumbling, but that sounded awkward. _Then again, I did carry him on Galuna Island._

"I'm capable of walking!" Gray replied, standing with a huff and holding out his hand.

"You..want me to hold your hand?" Natsu asked in disbelief. That was almost worse than carrying him.

"You can grab my _wrist_, and I think we'll be fine." The ice-mage grumbled, an unamused look on his face. Natsu reluctantly did as he was told and they continued walking for a while, until they came to yet another obstacle. This one however seemed to take the cake.

"Why are we stopping?" Gray asked, feeling the grip on his wrist tighten.

"There's uh..a_ little_ problem here. I'm not really sure how to explain this.." Natsu said, looking at the giant chasm in front of him. The only way across was a long tree trunk that looked just a little too old and a smidge too narrow. "I'm gonna have to carry you for this."

"What? Why?" Gray asked, wishing his eyesight would return already.

"Well, to put it simply..there's kinda this..chasm thingy. Kinda like uh..an abyss?"

"Okay..and we're crossing it because?"

"Well there's no other way around and the only way across is this tree trunk.."

"So, to clarify, you're saying we're about to walk through some big tree trunk, across an abyss, and there's no other option? Oh, and I'm not able to see whether or not we're going to die?" Gray asked, looking very skeptical.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Is it at least sturdy?" Gray asked. Natsu bent down a little and looked through it, noticing a few spots that had rotted away and just how small it was inside.

"Uh..sure."

"…Alright, fuck it, let's get this over with. Drop me and I'll come back from the dead and kill you." Gray said, hopping onto Natsu's back and mentally preparing himself for what would come. Natsu slowly entered the trunk, wondering how long it had been here. The fact that it was an uphill walk made it a lot harder. He carefully avoided the spots that were gone, accidentally glancing down below. There was a river at the bottom, which was very, very far away. He wondered if it was full of piranhas too. The mere thought made him stumble, feeling his stomach tighten with fear.

"Dammit Natsu, you have to do this." Gray said, clinging to Natsu for dear life. He felt the fire mage take a deep breath and continue taking slow steps, stopping again as his foot slipped. He could tell they were walking at an angle, so it was probably easy to slip. That wasn't reassuring at all. "Are we at least close?"

"Eh..about half way. It's a pretty big gap."

"Shit." Gray cursed, praying to Mavis that they would make it. He felt Natsu take a few more steps and then the worst possible thing could happen. He heard the wood beneath them creak ominously, and then something cracked. And then something else cracked. It was as if a chain reaction had been set off, and before they could react the ground beneath them broke open. Gray screamed as he felt himself falling, and then something was holding onto his hand. Natsu was hanging on to the bottom of the trunk while clinging to Gray's hand, saving him from falling to his death.

"Fuck! Gray, hang on!" Natsu yelled, trying to pull himself up. With their combined weight it would be a miracle if nothing else broke. Natsu was afraid to put pressure on the wood he was hanging on to, but they couldn't just stay here.

"Don't you dare let me go, Natsu!" Gray said, trying desperately to think of a way out of this. If he could at least see, it would be easier.

"Shit..Gray, you need to climb up here. If you can get back onto the trunk and pull me up, we should be okay. I can't lift us up like this, it's going to break again."

"How am I supposed to do that? I can't see anything!"

"Just trust me! It's the only way!" Natsu yelled, watching as Gray used his other hand to reach up and try to grab his shoulder. Slowly but surely, he managed to get back onto Natsu's back, and from there it wasn't too hard to get back up.

"There, now just lift me up!" Natsu said, his arm shaking from holding so much weight for that long. He stretched out his free hand, knowing how risky this would be considering Gray couldn't even see. "Hurry Gray, I'm slipping!"

"I got you!" Gray said, reaching blindly for Natsu's hand. He missed a few times, and just as Natsu felt himself slip, Gray quickly snatched his hand and yanked him up. Natsu sighed in relief as he landed on Gray, taking deep breaths to calm his frantic heart.

"Fucking shit, that was too close. We need to get off this thing." Natsu said, suddenly noticing that he was holding on to Gray way too tight. In fact, they were pretty much hugging each other. Gray had been pressed so hard against Natsu's chest he could hear the dragon slayer's rapid heartbeat.

"Natsu..you just saved my life." Gray said in disbelief, just now realizing that fact.

"Yeah, well, you saved my life the other day and again today. I still owe you. But we'll talk about that once we're for sure safe. Come on, get back on." Natsu said, bending down a little to let Gray hop back on. This time he sprinted until they burst out of the damned tree trunk, falling to the ground with a huff. They were back on the trail again, and not too far ahead of them was a clearing with a small pedestal.

"I think we're finally at the end, let's hurry!" Natsu said, dragging Gray for the umpteenth time that day. They reached the pedestal which had a small chest on top which Natsu quickly opened. Inside was the last thing he expected.

"What the..prayer beads?!" He cried, looking at the small black bracelets in his hand.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No! We did all of that for prayer beads! And now we have to go all the way back!" Natsu yelled, looking to his side and noticing another trail with a sign next to it. The sign read 'Temple' and had an arrow pointing to the right. "Oh..never mind. There's a different way back."

"It better not be a pain in the ass." Gray said, letting Natsu lead him down the path, which happened to take only a few minutes to get to the temple. Natsu couldn't believe it.

"Why couldn't we take this way in the first place?!" They both yelled, angrily stomping inside to find the others. They were just about to eat dinner, but stopped at seeing Natsu and Gray.

"Oh, that was fast. I didn't think you would actually make it back on time." Kasai said, standing to retrieve the beads.

"Well we did, and we almost died! Gray's blind, dammit!" Natsu yelled, watching as Shiro walked over and muttered something. Gray blinked as his vision suddenly came back.

"What..?" He asked in confusion, wondering if they had planned for him to go blind. He somehow didn't doubt it.

"The same thing happened to Kasai when we had to find the beads, and when we came back the monks said a prayer and then he could see again. I figured it would be smart to learn it." Shiro explained. Kasai grumbled angrily next to him. "That damned poison was such a pain, and going across the chasm was just..ugh."

"Yeah, you could have warned us about that!"

"Where's the fun in that?" Kasai said, causing Natsu to nearly fall over in aggravation.

"Alright, since we have the prayer beads it's time to explain what they are for. But first, each of you must wear them." Shiro said, watching as the two each put on a bracelet. Both he and Kasai said another prayer, causing the beads to glow and then return to normal.

"From now until the bonding is complete these bracelets will not come off. Their purpose is to help you learn each other's magic. But in order to do that, you must know each other. In a few seconds all of Natsu's memories will be transferred to Gray's mind, and vice versa. You will know all of the important details about each other. From that point, we can begin training you to use the others magic." Kasai explained, watching as both Natsu and Gray grew wide eyed.

"Wait, he's going to know everything I know?! Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" Natsu yelled, not liking this one bit.

"Well, would you have let us put them on if you knew?"

"Hell no!"

"Exactly. Don't worry, not every single detail will be transferred, just important memories. It is crucial for the bonding process." Shiro said, smiling as if everything were normal.

"Uh..am I supposed to feel like I'm going to pass out?" Gray asked, feeling slightly panicked as his heart began to race and everything became foggy.

"Oh, right, you must be unconscious for this. Don't worry, it's normal."

"What's with you people and not telling us important stuff?!" Natsu yelled before finally passing out, landing in a heap next to Gray. Erza sighed and walked over to her teammates, picking them up with ease and carrying them to their room. Tomorrow would be yet another interesting day.

"To think, you two of all people are going to fall in love. I can't say it's a bad thing though. I do like seeing you happy, and by the end of this, I'd say that's what's going to happen." She said, smiling at the two piled on top of each other before turning off the light and closing the door. While they had been in the forest, Shiro and Kasai had explained more to them about the whole process. They still had a lot to do, and very little time to do it. The seal was breaking more each day. She only hoped Natsu and Gray would cooperate.

Not that it would happen, but still, she could hope.

* * *

**Woo! Longer chapter this time. And a quick update. I'm on a roll XD**


	6. Chapter 6

The feeling of having Gray's memories flash through his mind was something Natsu couldn't even describe. He felt like he was seeing things that Gray didn't want anyone to see. It started with his childhood. A beautiful black haired woman, a tall man with a cross resembling Gray's necklace hanging from his ear, and then Deliora destroying everything. He saw it all through Gray's eyes, he even felt the pain. Natsu never realized just how hard it must have been for Gray to see everything he loved taken away in one night. He never could have imagined it. Yet now, he felt like he was there, and it hurt worse than anything.

The next memory was of Ur teaching him ice-make. He never knew what Gray's teacher looked like, but now he realized how amazing she was. Strong, brave, and beautiful. She resembled Gray's mother. Natsu felt the love Gray had for her, and the fear of losing yet another person. Then he relived the pain from before when Ur had to sacrifice herself to seal Deliora. Gray had blamed himself. It felt like his heart had been ripped out and he was empty inside. But then he found Fairy Tail and had another family. Yet there was still the constant fear of losing everyone again.

Through Gray's eyes, he fought Ultear and realized she was Ur's daughter. Then after the Grand Magic Games when the dragons broke free and Ultear sacrificed herself just as her mother did. Yet there was one memory that flashed through Natsu's mind that scared him more than anything. It all happened so fast, he still wasn't completely sure if it was true. One second he was in front of Juvia, and the next he was coughing up blood, his body full of holes. And then there was nothing. It almost seemed as if Gray had..died. But thanks to Ultear, he was saved. Had Gray really died? Had Natsu been that close to losing his rival?

Gray, likewise, saw all of Natsu's most personal and important memories. The first thing he noticed was that they started with Igneel, not his real parents. Did that mean he didn't remember anything about them? Igneel really was like a father to Natsu. He fed him, kept him safe, and taught him how to walk and talk. Then when he was old enough, Natsu learned Dragon Slaying Magic. It was complicated to learn, but Igneel had been a good teacher. Natsu had been happy. But then one day, he woke up and Igneel was gone. All Natsu had to remember him by was his scarf, and his magic. The pain was unimaginable. Gray never knew Natsu had ever felt so much pain; he always seemed so happy.

But when he found Fairy Tail, he also found his happiness again. The next memory was of him and Lisanna finding Happy's egg and hatching it. He had been very close to Lisanna. But then the day came where everyone found out she had died. Gray didn't remember Natsu being so sad, yet he was. He was never truly the same until he found Lucy. But while he seemed happy, deep inside he was scared of losing anyone else. A memory flashed of Gray trying to use iced shell, and the fear it dug up from within Natsu. Gray never knew Natsu cared that much about him.

There were the memories of Lisanna returning, of Erza nearly dying after fighting Jellal, only to be saved by Natsu. There were a lot of memories with Lucy. Yet throughout all of them, Gray noticed that Natsu never really felt safe. He was always scared that someone else would die. It was something Gray could relate to. Had he and Natsu always been so alike? And is Natsu really as happy as he seems?

Gray suddenly jolted awake, wondering when he had even fallen asleep. Then he remembered falling unconscious. All of that had felt like a dream, yet he knew it was true. He ran a hand over his face, pausing as he felt something wet. He had been crying? The whole ordeal had been pretty painful, but it wasn't his pain. It was Natsu's. That somehow made it worse.

Not two seconds later Natsu sat up abruptly, gasping for air as he wondered what happened. _Right, we passed out. So now I know all of Gray's memories? Damn, that was painful. I never knew Gray felt the same way I do. We have more in common than I thought._ Natsu looked over to find Gray staring at him, and then realized he had been crying and quickly wiped his face. At first he wasn't sure what to say, but then he remembered a certain memory that really pissed him off.

"So when were you going to tell me that you died?" He asked, glaring angrily at Gray who groaned, expecting this reaction.

"I didn't see the point in bringing it up since I'm not dead." He replied, already hating that Natsu knew everything he knew.

"But you could have been, Gray. If it wasn't for Ultear-" Natsu paused, feeling immense pain at bringing up such a terrible memory. He knew how Gray felt about it. He blamed himself for Ur dying, and he blamed himself for Ultear as well. "It's not your fault, Gray. She saved everyone that day. And Ur..she loved you."

"Just like Igneel loves you. I know you think he left because he doesn't care, but he does."

"We don't need to have this conversation right now." Natsu grumbled, looking away from Gray to stare blankly at the wall. He felt so exhausted. "Let's just go back to sleep, we had a long day."

"Fine by me." Gray shrugged, turning over and closing his eyes. He somehow knew tomorrow would be another long day. Yet after everything they went through, he felt..oddly safe knowing Natsu was next to him. And Natsu felt the same. After Gray nearly dying in the forest, and finding out he nearly died some other time, he was happy the ice-mage was lying next to him.

The gap between them had gotten smaller.

* * *

The next day held yet another training exercise. The two were supposed to use each other's magic somehow. Since they knew each other's memories, they somewhat knew what to do, but it didn't make things any easier. Natsu always thought ice-make would be easy, after all it looked simple enough. Turns out Gray just made it look easy. He wasn't used to working with cold things and quite frankly he didn't like it. Ice was an annoying substance to work with. He always hated the cold, it was nothing like his flames which were more fluid and flexible. Ice was hard. He had to picture what he was making before he could do anything. Then all of the different stances, there were just too many. It was like learning some weird dance. His first task was making a simple sculpture in his hand- nothing too big. He wanted to make a frozen flame. He could picture it just fine, he was used to flames and how they looked. But for some reason it wouldn't come out right. Every time he slammed a fist into his open palm, all he would get is some weird looking blob. He was losing patience.

Gray wasn't doing much better. The fact that Natsu used Dragon Slaying magic instead of regular fire magic like Kasai made everything harder. Only dragons could teach someone how to use their magic, and even with Natsu's memories it wasn't easy. He followed what Igneel said but the most he managed to get was a little flame in his hand, which vanished seconds later. Gray wasn't comfortable using fire. He hated being hot, and wasn't too fond of being burned either. His hand had already gotten burned plenty of times. He wanted to use ice-make out of habit. Gray liked the cold, he liked ice and snow and even hail as long as it wasn't pelting him. It was comfortable and made him happy. Fire was such an angry element, completely opposite to his magic. Fire burned and destroyed things, like his village after Deliora attacked. No, Gray hated fire. He never liked Natsu simply because he used fire so easily. Natsu was destructive. Not that Gray wasn't sometimes too, but still, his ice rarely destroyed an entire village.

But he knew this wasn't an option, he had to learn Natsu's magic.

So he listened carefully to what Igneel had told Natsu. If that idiot could figure it out, then so could he. It wasn't that much different from his ice-make, as far as technique went. He must picture the fire flowing through him, just like he pictured what his ice-make would look like. The fire originates from the heart, flows through the veins, and then materializes in the hands. He imagined it perfectly, so then why wasn't it working?

"You have to feel it, imagining it isn't enough." Natsu suddenly said, causing the small flame in Gray's hand to go out. Gray shot him an annoyed look.

"I'd focus on yourself, flame-brain. You can't even make a sculpture." He retorted, smirking as yet another unidentifiable blob formed in Natsu's hands. "You're doing it wrong by the way."

"How the hell do you do it then?!" He yelled, rubbing his cold hands together to warm them up. He really hated being cold.

"Well for one, you're not doing what Ur told you. The first thing she made me do was strip."

"She did that because it was freezing outside and she wanted you to get used to it. In case you haven't noticed, we're not surrounded by snow."

"Doesn't matter! That's the way she taught me, so you won't learn until you do it. I can always just freeze you so you can get used to it."

"Hell no! Just worry about yourself!" Natsu yelled, sighing in defeat after a few more failed attempts. He angrily shed his clothes until he was in nothing but boxers, glaring at Gray who tried not to laugh.

"..Really? Flame print boxers too?"

"Shut up!"

"Whatever, you're still being too aggressive. You're used to being like that since fire is aggressive. But ice isn't, you need to be gentle. Go slow." Gray said, watching as Natsu reluctantly tried again. He took a deep breath, imagined the sculpture in his hand, and instead of slamming his fist down he moved slower. When he opened his eyes, he saw the same blob- but this one had spikes on top. It looked.. kind of like a flame.

"I almost got it! Woo!" Natsu cheered, dancing around like an idiot in his underwear. Gray shook his head and went back to his own training. Was he being too gentle? Maybe he needed to be aggressive like Natsu. He needed to feel it, not just picture it. Taking a steadying breath, he imagined fire flowing through his veins and then exploding from his hands violently, instead of slowly flowing out. He needed to be destructive! When he opened his eyes, he nearly fainted at seeing both hands on fire. His first instinct was to run around and start screaming, but surprisingly, it didn't burn. It was just..warm.

"This..is so weird." He said to himself, observing the flames up close. Now that he looked at them, the flames were actually beautiful. How could something dangerous be so pretty? They were fierce and wild, just like Natsu. _Wait..does that mean in some roundabout way, Natsu is beautiful?_ Gray wondered, glancing at Natsu who was still celebrating. He violently shook his head._ Nope. Not even close. But I guess his magic is._

"Oi, how do you turn it off?" Gray asked, causing Natsu to pause and look towards the ice-mage, shock evident on his face.

"What the hell?! You got that far already?! You suck! And you don't turn it off, stupid, you control it."

"Well then how do I control it?! It's spreading, dammit!" Gray yelled, becoming more alarmed as his arms were enveloped by the flames.

"You have to calm down, first of all. It's not going to burn you. Just..I dunno, will it away. It's easy."

"It's not that easy! You're not being specific, dammit!"

"You're the one who knows my memories! What did Igneel teach me?"

"Uh..I don't know, I can't focus!"

"Then I'll put them out myself!" Natsu said, chasing after Gray and throwing deformed ice sculptures at him. Kasai and Shiro watched from a distance with amusement.

"They're making progress, don't you think?" Kasai asked, watching as Gray started stripping in case his clothes caught on fire.

"In a way, yes, but we're running out of time. That seal will only last a few more days. They haven't even gone through the ritual yet." Shiro replied, his expression somber.

"They aren't ready for that. I agree we need to hurry, but the ritual can only be rushed so much. Once they master each other's magic we can move on to more serious matters. Do you plan on marrying them?"

"No, we don't have enough time. Besides, they don't have to be married for Behemoth to be sealed. We didn't marry until a few years later."

"I can't imagine they would agree to marriage at their age anyways. It's a miracle they're still helping us after everything we put them through." Kasai said with a grin, watching as Gray finally managed to put out the flames, while being completely naked.

"They still don't know about the ritual. I wouldn't be surprised if they backed out once they realize what they are going to do. We nearly did."

"We had become..something like friends by that point. By the time we realized what we had to do, it nearly destroyed that fragile relationship. These two are much closer to each other than we were, but it could very well tear them apart. I hope that doesn't happen."

"Have faith in them, Kasai. I already see them becoming closer. And I'm not just saying that because they're running around nearly naked together."

* * *

It was almost dark out by the time Natsu and Gray saw any more progress. Shiro and Kasai had gone inside some time ago, leaving them completely alone. They were sitting in front of a small fire Natsu had started, and he was teaching Gray how to eat it.

"Wait, you can't eat your own magic, so how am I supposed to eat this?" Gray asked, though he was honestly trying to get out of this situation. Eating fire scared the shit out of him.

"I made it, not you. If you had made this then you wouldn't be able to eat it. Come on, just pick some up with your hand and eat it like regular food." Natsu said, watching as Gray eyed it suspiciously. "It won't hurt you, idiot. Just do it."

"I'm going to!" Gray replied angrily, slowly reaching out to test how hot it was. Just like earlier, it didn't burn him. With a gulp, he put his hand into the fire, and somehow managed to scoop some out. Natsu watched as the ice-mage slowly took a piece into his mouth and swallowed, eyes widening as he suddenly felt..stronger?

"Well?"

"It tastes..weird." Gray said, not sure if he could get used to eating fire. It gave him strength, sure, but it tasted kind of like smoke. Then again, smoking cigarettes did the same thing. They both tasted weird.

"Still, you've got fire in you, so let's see what you can do with it. Get up." Natsu said, standing and cracking his back. He really wanted to go to sleep, but they weren't allowed to until they learned each other's magic.

"What, you think I can do a roar or something?" Gray asked, eyes widening as Natsu nodded. "Are you crazy? There's no way I can do that!"

"Not with that attitude. You have to learn my magic and I have to learn yours, and this is part of it. Now shut up and let the fire out. I know you can feel it." Natsu said. Gray knew he was right; he definitely felt like that fire needed to get out. He felt powerful right now. How hard could a roar be anyways? He had seen Natsu do them plenty of times.

"Ugh, fine." Gray sighed, focusing on hearing Igneel's voice. It was the same thing as earlier, only the fire had to erupt from his mouth instead of his hands. He had gotten pretty good at using his hands, so he figured this would be the same thing. As it would turn out, he was wrong. He ended up using too much power and somehow caught Natsu on fire.

"Augh! What the hell Gray?! Put me out!" Natsu yelled, frantically running around as he was burned. Gray quickly used his own magic and froze Natsu solid, watching as the pinkette slowly thawed himself out. "You bastard!"

"Eh..Natsu.."

"What?!"

"You're boxers got burned off." Gray said, looking away as Natsu quickly covered himself.

"Oh, that's just great! It's been a day and I've already turned into a stripper like you!"

"Heh..well, since I learned how to do a roar, you need to do something too. If you manage to pull it off I'd say we're good." Gray said, watching as Natsu gave him a curious look, already forgetting that he was naked. He really had turned into an exhibitionist like Gray!

"Alright, what is it?"

"I want to see you do ice-make: prison. It's pretty basic, I think you can manage." Gray said, smirking at the confused face he got in return. "Come on, it's one of the first moves I learned. Do you want sleep or not?"

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Natsu said, racking his brain for the right stance. He had a vague memory of Gray doing it during his fight with Lyon, but he was having a hard time picturing the cage. Gray had made his look so..cool. His would probably look terrible. He had only just learned how to do ice-make: shield, and even that barely came out right. How was he supposed to make a cage? Cages were more intricate and had more design. With his tired brain, he couldn't even remember what a cage looked like.

"Don't think too much. Just let it happen." Gray said, noticing how hard Natsu was concentrating. It was odd to see him actually think. Natsu inhaled deeply, deciding to just do what Gray said. It was just a cage. All he had to do was make it. He simply put himself in Gray's memory the day he fought Lyon. Instead of Gray fighting it was him, and before he even realized what he was doing, Gray was trapped in a cage of ice. It wasn't as fancy as the cage Gray usually makes, but it was a cage nonetheless. "Not bad. Let's see how sturdy it is."

Natsu opened his eyes just as Gray used Fire Dragons Iron Fist, breaking the cage apart. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had actually done it! He had used ice-make, and Gray used Dragon Slaying magic! Someone else actually knew his magic! It made him feel..really happy. He loved his magic, and originally didn't like the idea of Gray using it. But it made him feel closer to the ice mage.

"Alright, we can go to sleep now!" Natsu said, punching Gray in the shoulder playfully. The two walked into the temple and back to their room, both grinning like idiots. They happened to pass Lucy on the way there who immediately stopped dead in her tracks at seeing her two friends, walking side by side while being completely naked.

"Oh, hey Luce! Guess what? We learned each other's magic!" Natsu said as they passed by, remaining oblivious to her shocked face. Once they were gone her nose erupted with blood.

"Y-yaoi..it's real..Erza, it's real!"

"Eh? Are you having another yaoi attack Lucy?"

"But it's real this time! I saw them!"

* * *

**Hehe..poor Lucy. I don't know why I made her a Yaoi fangirl. But yay for a longer chapter! I'll update eventually, I'm behind on homework so I might not have as much free time. But when I update again, you know it's going to be an epic chapter. These two are ready for this unknown ritual that they will apparently hate. I'll give you all a hint, the rating will probably go up soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

"So..why are we moving to a new room again?" Natsu asked, staring ahead at a small house separated from the rest of the temple. Everything about it screamed danger in Natsu's mind. It was only a few minutes away from the temple and was surrounded by lush greenery. There was a small waterfall next to the house that flowed into a pond, making for a great swimming spot. But it all looked too nice, too secluded. It looked.._romantic_. Warning bells were going off in Natsu's mind like crazy. He knew this was coming, but it was happening so fast. He had just figured out Gray's magic, and now he was supposed to..to..to what? He didn't even want to think about it. But just a few hours ago they had seen the medallion again. It was close to being completely broken in half. They were running out of time fast, Natsu knew everything was being rushed for a reason. But it was hard to wrap his head around.

"It is time to move on to the ritual, and then we can finally seal Behemoth. You two will be staying here until the ritual is complete." Shiro said from behind Natsu and Gray, Kasai next to him.

"And what exactly_ is_ this ritual?" Gray asked, though he somehow already knew the answer. There was only one reason why they would be taken to such a private place. The very idea made him want to puke. How was he supposed to do _that_ with Natsu? The idea of doing anything sexual with another guy had never even crossed his mind before, and now he was going to go all the way with _Natsu_?

"Well, usually the couple stays here for a few weeks until they fall in love and then they would get married, if time permitted. But Kasai and I didn't have the time, and neither do you. Unfortunately you have even less time than we did, which is why we ask that you try to complete the ritual in three days." Kasai explained. Both Natsu and Gray nearly fell over in shock.

"Three days?! That's impossible!" Natsu yelled, wanting to just turn around and run far away. But he knew that wasn't an option. He needed to do this, not just to save the temple, but everyone in Magnolia and the rest of Fiore.

"We know it's a lot to ask, but please, there's no other way." Shiro said, smiling apologetically at the two as they approached the door. "Once you enter this house, the runes we set up around this area will be activated. You won't be allowed to go a certain distance away from the house. The runes will only be lifted once the ritual is complete. We will check on you in three days to see if you have accomplished your goal. Ah, and nobody will be allowed to go through the runes either, it's not just for you two. Your blonde friend has been a bit..eccentric lately."

"Eh? Lucy has? She seems normal to me." Natsu said, wondering when Lucy acted strangely. She always acted a little weird anyways.

"Well anyways, this is your final task before sealing Behemoth. You can't do that without completing this ritual. Please remember what is at stake, even if it becomes too difficult. We went through the very same thing and know it's hard and unfair, but I can promise you it's worth it." Kasai said, glancing at Shiro who looked away stubbornly.

"Don't bore them with your stories you old fool. Let's go." Shiro said, walking away with a huff. Kasai quickly followed, leaving Natsu and Gray truly and utterly alone. The feeling set in immediately.

"Those guys.." Gray muttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. They had yet to even enter the house and he already wanted everything to be over. He wished he could just fast-forward his life until they were back home and everything was back to normal.

"Yeah, I know. Well, we should probably..go inside then." Natsu said, the mere idea giving him a bad taste in his mouth.

"Guess so.." Gray said, slowly opening the door and peering inside. There was a small kitchen and a table to sit at, and two doors that led to the bedroom and a bathroom. The house was a lot smaller than he originally thought. It seemed..cramped. He didn't like sharing space like this. He was used to living alone. How was he supposed to live with Natsu, the guy he constantly fought with?

With a sigh they stepped into the house and left their bags in the bedroom, looking around with blank expressions. They had no idea what to do. Everything up to this point had been training, it required them to focus and work hard. This was entirely different. They were supposed to fall in love, which is something Gray had no idea how to do. He refused to love another person after everyone he ever did love died. He had never even had a girlfriend before, just meaningless one night stands. And Natsu was the same way. This really was impossible.

"Well..I'm gonna take a shower." Natsu said, making a beeline for the bathroom. Gray nodded wordlessly, deciding to get some fresh air. Walking back outside he looked around, taking in the beauty around him. It really was a romantic spot, somewhere he would like to take a girlfriend if he ever got one. But he was here with Natsu. Everything about that was wrong.

He walked down to the pond, throwing his shirt to the side without even realizing it, and got comfortable under a tree. Could he really pull this off? They said sealing Behemoth without doing the ritual was impossible, but how could that be true? What did being in love have to do with sealing a demon?

"I told myself I wouldn't fall in love with anyone ever again. And I'm not breaking that rule for Natsu. We're friends at most and that's how it has to stay. How the hell would we fall in love anyways? Aren't people supposed to go on dates, get to know each other, do stuff like that? I already know everything about him. But to love someone, don't you have to be attracted to them, even a little? I could never be attracted to Natsu." Gray said, looking up at his temporary home to find that the bathroom window was open. Through all of the steam that was coming out, he saw a head of pink hair and a pair of strong shoulders.

"No, definitely not. There's nothing attractive about that guy. He doesn't have curves, or a pretty face, or soft skin. He's rough. He doesn't have what I like. No ass, no boobs, nothing. Why couldn't there be some other fire mage I could have gotten paired up with? Like some hot girl, for example. Someone with Lucy's body type. Wide hips, flat stomach, and those boobs..ugh, why am I talking about this? I'm stuck with Natsu, there's no need to remind myself that I haven't gotten laid in forever." He grumbled, skipping a stone across the ponds surface.

"But I don't really have a choice, do I? By the time this is all over, Natsu and I will have already done it. Will we even be friends? This could ruin whatever relationship we have, how can we ever go back to normal? I don't think we're supposed to. This temple probably makes people stay together somehow, even after the demon is sealed. I don't want to be with him forever!"

"Oi, popsicle!" Natsu yelled from the window, "The showers open if you want it!"

"Yeah, coming!" Gray replied, making his way back to the house. He passed by the bedroom and noticed Natsu sprawled out on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The fire mage had just as many questions as Gray. They were members of Fairy Tail, and therefore could never be broken apart. Natsu refused to lose any of his friends, Gray included. He was determined that this wouldn't ruin them. It would be awkward, but he refused to believe Gray would stop talking to him.

But still..how would this work?

Natsu had never had a girlfriend, or anything else. He was a virgin in every sense of the word. He liked girls, like Lucy and Lisanna, but for some reason they had always stayed friends. There were plenty of chances for him and Lucy to get together, but she never seemed to open to the idea. And Lisanna liked him, he knew that for sure, but he looked at her like a sister. But that didn't mean he liked guys. He appreciated girls and their bodies, but guys? He didn't see how they could be attractive. Gray had his qualities, anyone could see that, but it didn't mean Natsu liked him. So how was he supposed to fall in love with him?

"He's not terrible to look at, I guess. I have always liked the color of his stupid droopy eyes. And he does have a really nice body. I mean, mine is way better, but still. He keeps himself in shape. And we have a lot in common, more than I thought. He's really nice and deep down he cares about everyone in the guild, even me. It wouldn't be terrible..if we stayed together. Even being with him now isn't too bad." Natsu said, face turning red as he realized where his train of thought was going.

"No! I didn't just think that! Ugh, this mission needs to end already before I lose all sanity!"

* * *

Later that night Natsu jolted awake from a very disturbing dream. He and Gray were..together. And happy. They acted like any other couple, and had just revealed to the guild that they were in love. Naturally a party ensued. It had all been so perfect. Natsu had no idea why he would have such a dream and didn't want to think about it. He didn't like the way this mission made him feel. He glanced over to see if his sudden movement had woken Gray, but found that the ice-mage was gone. With a shrug he decided to get some fresh air. When he opened the front door, he was met with the sight of Gray sitting on the stairs that led to the house, smoking a cigarette.

"I didn't know you still smoked." Natsu said, watching as Gray jumped slightly from the sudden noise. The pinkette took a seat next to Gray, wondering why he was sitting out here so late.

"Only when I'm stressed out. Don't tell Erza though." Gray replied, taking another drag and slowly exhaling the smoke. Natsu scrunched up his nose at the smell. He hated cigarettes.

"Heh. She would kill you. Maybe I'll tell her."

"Shut up." Gray replied. Natsu smirked, letting a small moment of silence pass by before speaking again.

"There a reason you're sitting out here?"

"Just..had a bad dream. This whole mission is really fucking me up." Gray said, taking a longer drag than before. Natsu noticed, but he understood the feeling. "And you?" Gray asked, finding it odd that Natsu was awake. Usually he slept like a rock.

"The same, actually. I don't think I'll be getting any more sleep tonight."

"Me either." Gray said, and another moment of silence passed. No matter how hard he tried, his nightmare wouldn't leave him alone. He had just confessed his love to Natsu, and if that wasn't scary enough, literally a second later a bullet shot through the air and went right through Natsu's skull. He had felt so happy in that dream, like he finally found love again, only to have it taken away as usual. It scared Gray more than anything else. Was it a sign that he would never love someone again? Would they really die every time he said he loved them? He knew it was impossible, Natsu would never die so easily, and the odds of him dying right after Gray said 'I love you' was even more impossible. But he still felt uneasy.

"I know this mission is the worst, and I'm not saying I want to, but..we really don't have a choice. Resisting is just going to make it harder. Maybe getting it over with is the best thing to do." Natsu said, feeling uncomfortable saying his thoughts aloud. He knew how weird it sounded. But he wanted to save the world, no matter what. That's just the type of person he is.

"So you're saying we should just fuck and get it over with?" Gray asked, staring at Natsu with disbelief.

"N-no, that's not what I meant. I just mean..er..you know what? Nevermind, I don't know what I meant by that. Guess I really am tired."

"No..I think I get it. We need to at least try to make this experience less sucky. It's hard enough already, but resisting will make it a bigger head ache. I just..I don't know what to do. It's definitely the weirdest mission I've ever been on. But that doesn't change the fact that it's important and we have no choice."

"So..what do we do? I don't want to..do what you said."

"What, fuck and get it over with?"

"Yes, that." Natsu grumbled, face turning slightly pink at the blunt way Gray put it. He didn't want to be treated like a one night stand. He deserved more than that, right? Even if it was with Gray.

Gray smirked at the way Natsu was acting. "Alright, then what do you suggest? I'm as lost as you are when it comes to things like this. Romance isn't my thing."

"No..but you've got more experience than I do. What do you normally do when you pick up one night stands?"

"Fuck and get it over with."

"Before that!" Natsu yelled, scowling at Gray who failed at trying not to laugh.

"I don't know, usually we're both drunk. I say something smooth and take her to my place. Then we fuck and-"

"Say it again and I'll kill you!" Natsu said, "And you're never smooth, so don't lie."

"How would you know? It obviously works."

"Whatever. So that's really all you do? That won't work."

"Not with you, of course, but sometimes all it takes is a kiss and she's good to go." Gray said, noticing the way Natsu became quiet. He didn't like that. Natsu wasn't a quiet person and rarely thought so deeply that he didn't talk. Yet that's what he was doing right now.

"You said you would both get drunk first, right?" Natsu said after a moment, and idea forming in his mind.

"Uh..yeah, why?" Gray asked, watching as Natsu got up and went back inside. With a gulp, he followed, wondering what the hell Natsu was thinking. He watched as Natsu looked through the cabinets, pausing as he found what he was looking for. When he turned around, Gray's jaw fell open. He was holding a bottle of fine sake.

"I knew they would have alcohol here!" Natsu said, grinning like an idiot while Gray gaped at him. Alcohol had to make it easier to love someone, right? Well, in Natsu's mind it did.

"What are you planning on doing with that?"

"Drinking it, duh. If we're drunk this will be easier. It's what you usually do, right?"

"Well, yeah but..So you're suggesting we get drunk and see if that works?" Gray asked, just to be sure. When Natsu nodded he felt like he might just fall over. But the idea didn't completely repulse him. At least if he got drunk enough he wouldn't have to remember it.

"Alright..but we'll need more than one bottle."

* * *

**Heh..so this took a while. I'm getting a three week break from school pretty soon so I should be able to update more. Also, I'm contemplating who should be the seme. I think Gray should, since he has more experience, but I'm not sure. The idea of an uke Gray interests me. Review and tell me what you think. Oh, and yeah, Natsu is pretty OOC. I figured one of them needs to start felling different towards the other, and Natsu seems like he would do that. He has a big heart and hasn't suffered as much loss as Gray, so I think he would be more open to it. OOC is expected though. I'm terrible at keeping people in character XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so I'm having a super hard time figuring out what to do. When I saw all of the reviews part of my brain melted. I was happy to get all of them, since this is the most feedback I've ever gotten for a story that so far has eight chapters. But then I counted all of the votes and the rest of my brain kinda just fizzled away. 7 for uke Gray and 12 for seme Gray. I just..I don't…I don't know what to do! Those are some pretty close numbers. If I make Gray on top, I disappoint a lot of people, and vice-versa. However, some people suggested to switch off (which for some reason I didn't even think of) or to make both of them seme (which I also never considered, because I'm just stupid.) SO in favor of satisfying all of you, that's what I'll attempt to do. And yeah, I say attempt. I've never written a lemon where both are seme and for some reason my brain can't really comprehend it. I'm just used to the whole seme/uke thing. But like a few of you said, that just..doesn't always work. Especially with these two. So this chapter is going to be an experiment that hopefully doesn't go wrong.**

**I don't even know what's going to happen yet, I'm just going to let my keyboard type whatever it wants and see if that works. It never has before, but..oh well. Here goes nothing.**

* * *

Several hours later, half of the alcohol supply has been emptied and lay scattered about on the kitchen floor. Natsu and Gray are splashing around in the pond, laughing drunkenly about nothing in particular. At this point Gray has absolutely no idea what's going on. He's no lightweight like Natsu, in fact he's the one who drank most of the bottles of sake, but that was some _damn_ good sake. The ice-mage can't remember the last time he's been this drunk. It was probably when he had a few drinks with Cana a few years ago, which ended up being a_ huge_ mistake. But he wanted to be incoherent so he wouldn't have to remember tonight. They may be messing around right now but he knew eventually it would happen. He wondered how drunk Natsu was. The guy hardly ever consumed alcohol, yet he downed at least three bottles. Gray wondered if Natsu was doing the same thing he was. Or was he just trying to keep up with Gray? That seemed like something he would do.

He watched with a dazed expression as Natsu floated around on his back, staring at the sky with that stupid grin of his. They needed to get this over with and quit fooling around. But Gray was just too drunk to even move. Could he talk? "Neh..Natsu..we need to..um..go inside." Okay, he could kind of talk. Natsu looked over at him, a confused expression on his face.

"W-why? This iss fun." Natsu slurred back, having apparently forgotten what they were supposed to do. Gray didn't care. He was content with just floating in this pond for the rest of his life. Until the water started getting warmer and warmer, and then Gray realized Natsu was using his magic for no reason.

"Oi! Knock it off, idiot, yer making the water hottt."

"Mhmm. Feels better." Natsu said, looking as if he could fall asleep at any moment. Despite being completely drunk Gray knew sleeping in water wasn't good. That usually led to drowning, and if Natsu drowned then they couldn't complete this mission. So with a groan Gray managed to swim over and drag Natsu out of the water, both of them collapsing when they touched solid ground. Moving was just too much work. Gray decided he would just look at the tree branches above him, but soon realized everything was spinning. He felt pretty lightheaded too. That made him laugh for some reason.

"Gray.." Natsu said, causing Gray to blink and look over at Natsu. The dragon slayer had unfocused eyes and pink cheeks from all the alcohol, yet Gray could tell he still had somewhat of an idea of what was going on right now. "Aren't we supposed to be doing something?"

"Er..yeah, technically." Gray replied awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. He heard shuffling next to him and suddenly Natsu was far too close, giving him a weird look. "What..are you doing?"

"I dunno." Natsu shrugged, looking way too nonchalant. Gray suddenly wished he was more drunk. Everything was becoming less fuzzy and too real. He would remember this in the morning, and judging by the looks of it, Natsu would too. But the dragon slayer had just enough alcohol in his system to not give a damn about what he was about to do. "You said you kiss a girl and that's all it would take, right?"

"Well yeah but this is different."

"Then just imagine I'm a girl." Natsu said, and before Gray could even process what that meant his lips were being covered by Natsu's. He snapped his eyes shut immediately, trying to imagine himself anywhere but under a tree kissing Natsu. Natsu had told him to imagine he was kissing a girl, so that's what he did. He found that it wasn't that hard. The lips he felt were soft and melded with his perfectly. They tasted sweet too. It was over before he could really process it, yet somehow Gray knew Natsu wasn't done. The dragon slayer seemed more determined to get this over with than Gray. So when the ice-mage felt himself being dragged inside, he knew what was about to happen.

"N-Natsu..what are you..?" Gray said, still having trouble forming a sentence. The room was blurry and he was seeing two Natsu's, and they were both giving him a weird look.

"Getting this shit over with already." He replied, removing his shirt yet leaving his scarf. Gray swallowed thickly, feeling his heartbeat speed up. _This is happening. It's real, and it's happening. Shit, I don't know what to do!_

"B-but I..we're drunk." Gray said, as if it was some kind of unknown fact. He mentally slapped himself. _Of course we're drunk, that was the plan stupid!_

"It's what you always do, right? Just stay still and let me do this." Natsu said, grabbing his pants to pull them down but instead pausing. Reality chose that moment to slap him in the face. He was about to have drunk sex with Gray and possibly ruin their friendship. He knew it wasn't an option, yet at the same time he couldn't bring himself to do it. The look Gray was giving him certainly didn't help. "What?"

"I'm not bottoming." Gray said, his previous thoughts vanishing only to be replaced by anger and a familiar sense of competitiveness. _Like hell I'm going to lay here and take it like some bitch!_

"Well I'm not either!" Natsu said, feeling a fight coming on.

"I have more experience than you, idiot! You have no idea what you're doing! There's no way I'm letting you top!"

"Well I can't bottom! I need the experience anyways, and you have enough of it, so therefore I get to top! How else am I supposed to learn?"

"This isn't supposed to be a learning experience! We're doing this to seal a demon!"

"It is a learning experience, smart ass! We have to learn to love each other before we can seal it!"

"Well that doesn't mean I can't top. You're gonna bottom whether you like it or not!" Gray yelled, punching Natsu in the face. The pinkette fell to the bed as Gray pinned him down, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

"In your dreams, ice bastard!" Natsu yelled, switching their positions so he was on top. "I'll top, and I'll do it better than you ever could!"

"Oho, that's big talk coming from a virgin! You must be really drunk if you think you're better than me at anything!"

"I'll prove it then!" Natsu replied, and before Gray could process what that meant, Natsu was suddenly kissing him again. Gray had no idea how this turned into a competition, but dammit he would win!

"You call that a kiss? You suck!" Gray said, flipping positions again and kissing Natsu, nipping at his bottom lip. They went on like this for some time until the kisses turned into something more, and before either knew it they were both naked and aroused.

"See? I win, so I top." Gray said, smirking arrogantly down at Natsu who was blushing from so much intimacy. He never knew this side of Gray, and having the very obviously turned on boy on top of him made Natsu feel weird inside. Plus Gray was right, though he would never admit it out loud. He was a virgin and really wasn't sure what to do. Being kissed and touched like this was..in a weird way, thrilling. But he still didn't want to be on the receiving end of this.

"No way! Why can't neither of us bottom." He said with a pout, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that said he liked this.

"Because idiot, that wouldn't work. It's not sex unless one of us takes it up the ass."

"Shut up! Let's just get this over with! But if you hurt me I swear I'll burn your dick off!" Natsu said, blush intensifying as he realized what was about to happen.

"It's going to hurt no matter what, but I'll try to make it as painless as possible. Now shut up and let me do this." Gray said, closing his eyes as he mentally prepared himself. _Just imagine he's a girl. This isn't Natsu, it's some really hot girl. I can do this._

Natsu was about to ask why Gray was taking so long when suddenly the ice-mage was kissing him, this time more tenderly. Natsu didn't know Gray could kiss like this. He felt a tongue swipe across his bottom lip and hesitantly let Gray explore his mouth, feeling oddly warm inside. Gray's hand began running up and down his arm, giving him goose bumps, and then that same hand began teasing his still hard length. He noticed the way Gray's eyebrows furrowed together for a moment, and then the kiss became more intense and Natsu found himself being stroked at a somewhat fast pace. He had touched himself before, but it never felt like this.

While Natsu was actually enjoying himself, Gray was having a hard time focusing. He tried to picture a girl, but Natsu made it difficult. His arm was too strong, he kissed like a guy, and girls didn't have something hard between their legs. But he forced himself to continue, because he had to. Breaking free from the kiss, he put three fingers against Natsu's slightly parted lips, sighing when Natsu gave him a confused look.

"Suck. I have to prepare you." He said, breath catching in his throat as Natsu began sucking on his fingers. His mouth was warm and moist, and for a second it turned Gray on. But he quickly shook that thought away. He just needed to focus on getting this over with. When it seemed like his fingers were slick enough he moved down between Natsu's legs, finding his entrance and slowly inserting a finger. Natsu made a small sound of discomfort, not sure if he liked this new feeling. It was more uncomfortable than anything. Once Natsu seemed okay with one finger, he added another. This time Natsu felt pain.

"Ow! That hurts you damn stripper!"

"Just relax and it won't." Gray said, surprised at the gentleness in his voice. It contradicted everything he felt inside. He started moving his fingers again, searching for a certain spot. While he had no experience with other men, he grew up with Fairy Tail mages, and heard plenty of stories. It was impossible for him not to know what to do. So when he finally brushed against a bundle of nerves and Natsu moaned, he knew he found it. The dragon slayer looked mortified at the sound that just came out of him, and yet he wanted more of that feeling.

"What was that?" He asked somewhat breathlessly, back arching off the bed when Gray hit it again.

"Your prostate. Guess it really does feel good." Gray replied, inserting another finger and hitting that spot over and over again until Natsu looked ready to lose it. "Are you ready?"

"Y-yeah..just do it already.." Natsu said, heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't believe this was about to happen. He watched as Gray positioned himself, his erection a few mere inches away from his entrance. Gray's face was close to Natsu's, enough so the dragon slayer could see every emotion flicker through those stormy blue eyes. They were still foggy from the alcohol, yet Natsu saw the hesitation. Gray didn't want to do this, and it's not like Natsu did either, so then why was he handling it better than Gray? Did some deep, dark part of him actually want to do this with Gray? No, that wasn't possible. Natsu liked Lucy, didn't he?

_Focus,_ he berated himself, not wanting to think about anything else. This was a mission. They would do this for the sake of humanity, as weird as that sounded, and then everything would be okay. All they needed to do was fall in love, and they chose to start with sex. So then..why weren't they having sex yet? Natsu looked up at Gray with a confused expression, wondering what the hold up was. The ice-mage was biting his lip anxiously and looked frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, not realizing how much of a loaded question that was. There was _a lot_ wrong. Gray's mind was a mess, as if a tornado had made its way through a thousand times. He was about to have sex with a man, Natsu for that matter. It could potentially ruin whatever relationship they had. But Gray was also thinking about the long term effects of this mission. He knew they absolutely had to fall in love, though he still wasn't completely sure why. Gray didn't want to fall in love, he couldn't. The mere idea made his heart seize in his chest. He was terrified of love and everything that came with it. Would Natsu die if Gray loved him, like everyone else?

"N-nothing, just give me a second." Gray said, remembering that he was supposed to answer Natsu. The pinkette looked up at him with concern, seeing the fear in his eyes. He could hear the frantic heartbeat and erratic breathing. Natsu knew how Gray felt right now since he had all of Gray's memories, and knew he needed to fix it. Despite this odd situation they were in, Gray was still nakama, and Natsu refused to let a nakama struggle like this.

"Let me help." Natsu said, and before Gray could process what that meant, he was being pushed down onto the mattress. It took him a minute to realize what was happening, but when Natsu suddenly kissed him, it all clicked. His previous anger returned.

"Oi, I told you I wouldn't bottom." He said, watching somewhat nervously as Natsu began kissing his neck.

"You're scared, idiot, I get it. This is hard. So let me help you." Natsu said, remaining surprisingly serious. Gray wasn't used to seeing this side of Natsu, hell he never knew this side existed. Natsu always seemed so oblivious to everything; Gray had always assumed he didn't know anything. Had Natsu really chose to remain ignorant this entire time?

"You better not fuck up." Gray said, wondering why he was allowing this to happen. He knew he was scared, but was it really this hard to just shove those thoughts away and do his job? He had done it before. Was it because this was Natsu and not some random girl?

"Quit being bossy and let me focus. Being drunk and not having experience is kinda hard. If you're gonna talk, tell me what to do."

"Fine. Just..do what I did to you." Gray said, not wanting to elaborate any further. He never imagined he would be telling Natsu what to do to him in bed. But apparently Natsu didn't need to be told anything else. He shoved three fingers into Gray's mouth, something the teen would complain about later, while also nipping on his collar bone. That was a sensitive spot for Gray. His previously limp member began twitching back to life, and Gray decided to just let Natsu do the work. It was easier on him and his horribly fucked up mind. He told himself to relax, yet when Natsu inserted a finger he jumped.

"Relax, remember?" Natsu said, repeating what Gray had told him. He took a shuddering breath and relaxed, trying to adjust to this new feeling. Despite it being his first time, Natsu wasn't being a complete idiot. He was being gentle and..oddly sensual about it. He licked and touched Gray in the right places, as if he knew everything about the ice-mages body. Before Gray knew it, Natsu was about to enter him, forever blurring the lines between their friendship and something else. Not that they weren't already blurred.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Natsu asked, and Gray held back a laugh. Natsu sure liked to ask loaded questions.

"Of course not, but we don't really have a choice. Just do it." He replied. Natsu frowned at this but continued anyway, knowing Gray was right. He tried to go slow, but his nerves got the best of him. His head was in before Gray could blink.

"Oi! Not so fast, stupid, it hurts!" Gray yelled, punching Natsu in the arm.

"Sorry, I'm nervous." Natsu said, ignoring the punch and slowly going deeper inside. He paused whenever Gray looked uncomfortable, but eventually he made it. Then came the point where he was lost again. "Er..now what?"

"Oh my- move you idiot! You know, in and out?" Gray said, exasperated by Natsu's lack of experience.

"Oh, right." Natsu said, laughing at Gray's pissed off face. He began moving, surprised at how good it felt. Gray was so tight and warm inside, yet on the outside he was freezing._ I wonder if I can find that spot like he did,_ Natsu wondered, moving around until suddenly Gray cried out. "Heh, found it."

"Shut up." Gray said somewhat breathlessly. He never knew what it felt like to have his prostate touched, this was his first time with another guy after all, but it felt amazing. "And go faster."

"Whatever you say ice princess." Natsu said, ignoring Gray's scowl and increasing his speed. As the headboard started hitting the wall, Natsu felt something hot pooling in his groin, and it felt like something tight needed to snap. He kept going faster and faster until both of them were panting and making noises that they couldn't hold back any longer. Natsu had never felt like this before. It was exhilarating yet scary at the same time. His entire body tingled from his impending release, and by the way Gray was gripping his shoulders, he knew he wasn't the only one getting close. Natsu suddenly felt the urge to kiss Gray. Usually he would wonder why he would have such an urge, but right now he didn't care.

Gray's eyes widened as Natsu suddenly kissed him hard and their tongues clashed together. They had only kissed a few times, yet this one was different. It was full of some raw, unyielding emotion that Gray wasn't used to. Much like Natsu, it was full of passion. It should have been just another kiss to Gray, yet he felt it throughout his entire body. It even pierced his heart. And that bothered him. Yet right now he couldn't bring himself to care, as his vision went white from the powerful release. A second later Natsu followed, burying his face in the crook of Gray's neck and biting down hard.

There was a moment of stillness as they regained their breath; Natsu rolling off Gray and making a mess on the bed. His chest and stomach had been splattered with Gray's semen, which was now on the sheets. Not to mention what was spilling out of Gray's ass. But Natsu sure as hell didn't care, he just wanted sleep. Gray however became aware immediately and grimaced, not liking the feeling. He attempted to stand, stumbling for a moment as his legs came back to life, and began walking towards the bathroom.

"Where you going?" Natsu asked, already in the process of falling asleep. Of all the times he's seen Gray walk around naked, this time felt weird.

"Shower." Was all Gray said, feeling exhausted himself. Yet unlike Natsu he liked being clean. He waited until he was under the hot spray of water to think about what really happened. He and Natsu had sex. The deed was done, and it was a huge deal. He felt accomplished, confused, and somewhat sick. Was he gay now? He still liked women a lot, but wouldn't having sex with a guy make you gay? Well, maybe bisexual.

"Why am I even thinking about this? I've never questioned my sexuality before! This wasn't supposed to change anything, Natsu and I are still friends and I still like girls. I can't let this get to me.."

Try as he might, Gray knew nothing would be the same after this, and he couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to get worse.

* * *

**So yeah..this took forever. Not completely happy with how it turned out but oh well. This was probably the hardest chapter I've ever had to write. Hopefully I didn't disappoint anyone, but if I did, there's still more to come.**


	9. Chapter 9

Gray woke the next morning with a splitting head ache and the urge to vomit. His hair was a mess and he was still naked from last night, which he was trying his best to forget. There were a few parts that he didn't remember, but everything else was clear. Just thinking about it made him gag, and he quickly rushed to the bathroom, only to find it being used already. Natsu was on his knees in front of the toilet, shaking and still dry heaving. He turned to look at Gray, looking absolutely exhausted, and promptly returned to throwing up. Gray hated being around vomit, especially if it wasn't his, but his options were limited. He could always run outside and puke into the bushes or something, but at this point he doubted he would make it that far. With a groan he collapsed onto his knees next to Natsu and puked whatever was in his stomach out. Natsu didn't seem to care that they were both vomiting right next to each other. He just wanted to shower and go back to sleep. Unfortunately his stomach wouldn't let him. He was dehydrated and thus his vision was a bit off. Everything was spinning, which made his motion sickness kick in. At this rate he would just throw up all day.

Gray flopped onto his back, the cold tile floor helping him feel better. The room was spinning slightly but at least the vomiting was over. However the sound of Natsu still gagging made him slightly concerned. How long had Natsu been like this? Had he really gotten so drunk that he felt worse than Gray? Natsu was a lightweight after all, so hangovers were probably a lot more intense. Gray was somewhat used to them already, but doubted Natsu was the same. Part of him wanted to just go back to bed, but for some reason he felt like helping the idiot. With a sigh he managed to stand and went to the kitchen to get some water. It was important to stay hydrated after a night of drinking, and while it might make him puke more, it should fix Natsu's head which had to be pounding.

Walking back into the bathroom where Natsu hadn't even moved, he handed the glass to the dragon slayer who gratefully accepted it. Natsu had heard of different hangover remedies during his years at the guild, the most common one drinking plenty of water. He sipped carefully, knowing chugging the whole thing down would make him feel worse. He wanted to take a shower mostly because hot water apparently helped the head ache go away, and it relaxes you. Gildarts had told him that, or maybe it was Macao. He couldn't remember.

"I'm going to lie down. If you need anything just yell." Gray said, turning to leave when Natsu suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Can you help me stand? I'm gonna shower real quick." Natsu asked, belatedly wondering why he accepted Gray's offer. He never asked for the ice block's help.

"Eh..sure. Just don't puke on me." Gray said, pulling the teen to his feet. When Natsu seemed able to stand on his own, Gray let go, keeping a close eye on the pinkette. He looked woozy for a second, but took another sip of water and nodded.

"Okay, I think I got it. Thanks popsicle."

"Che, whatever flame brain." Gray said, leaving Natsu to his shower. Once the bathroom door closed Natsu took a deep breath, wondering why his heart was beating so fast. _I just need a shower and then I'll feel better,_ he told himself, setting the glass of water on the sink and turning on the shower. Once steam was fogging up the glass he removed his clothes and stepped in, sighing in relief as the spray hit him. He loved taking hot showers, they always helped him think clearly, and right now he had a lot to think about. He remembered almost everything from last night. They had gone outside at some point, and then things got blurry. The next thing he remembered was Gray hovering over him, looking scared out of his mind. He remembered switching positions and preparing Gray, and then entering him. It had all felt so new and different, but also amazing. His first time! He had given himself to Gray, and while that fact did bother him, it also made him feel oddly happy. He trusted Gray as a friend and figured it was better than giving his virginity to some random girl. Granted, he would have preferred it to be Lucy, but he didn't have a choice. Now that it was over though, he wondered what would happen. They were far from done with this mission. Just because they had sex didn't mean they were in love.

"I have to fall in love with him.." Natsu said, the strange feeling in his chest returning. His heart began beating faster, and his stomach felt fluttery. Almost like.. "Butterflies? Isn't that what girls say when they like a guy? Don't tell me…I have butterflies for Gray?" He wondered, stopping to think it over. Gray had obviously been tense and hesitant last night, yet Natsu had been so willing. It almost seemed like Natsu wanted to do it. At the beginning of this mission he had been more like Gray, yet even back then he was more accepting of it. Why?

"I thought it was because I knew we had to do this. We have to save everyone from this demon! But Gray knows that too, and he's not acting like this. Why am I able to accept everything so easily? Am I the only one feeling like this?" He said, pausing to think back to last night. He remembered kissing Gray at the end, and the ice-mage had kissed back, seeming to enjoy it. But that was the only sign that Gray felt the same.

"Well..he was turned on too, but that's normal. Isn't it? We were..touching and stuff. It's natural to get turned on by that, even if it's with a guy, right? I mean other than that he didn't really show signs of enjoying it. He looked nervous and kept his eyes shut. I wonder if he imagined a girl instead of me?" Natsu asked, the idea making him feel oddly hurt. Was he not good enough? Did Gray hate it? Were they still friends? Everything seemed normal between them a few minutes ago. Was Gray just pretending nothing happened?

"Ugh..too many questions." Natsu sighed, wishing he could just talk to Gray about it. Yet for some reason he was scared to ask Gray. What if he really did hate Natsu now? "No, that won't happen. I'll ask him when the time is right." He said, turning off the water and stepping out. He dried off a bit and then looked at his clothes which had some throw up on them, and decided he wouldn't be wearing those today. With a shrug he decided to just wear boxers and walked back to the bedroom where Gray was sound asleep. He then silently slipped under the covers and drifted off as well.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when the boys woke up again, this time feeling much better. They entered the kitchen to get some food but ended up staring in disbelief at the mess. Bottles of sake were everywhere, the sink was full of dishes, and trash lay scattered about. How did they make such a mess, and more importantly, when?

"Guess we got pretty messed up after all. I don't remember doing any of this." Gray said, wincing as he stepped on something wet. "We need to clean this up."

"What?! Can't we do it later or something? I'm starving!" Natsu said, the idea of cleaning not appealing to him at all.

"It won't take that long, idiot, and we can't just leave the house like this. It's not our property." Gray said, picking up all of the bottles and throwing them away. Natsu watched with an unamused stare.

"We'll pick it up before they check on us, it can wait."

"Stop being lazy, Natsu! If it were up to you this place would never be cleaned! I've seen your house!"

"There's nothing wrong with my house, you're just a clean freak!"

"It's called being a normal person, now help me clean!"

"Fine!" Natsu yelled, picking up some trash and promptly throwing it at Gray. This of course resulted in a fight, which then created more of a mess. Eventually the two ended up doing dishes, each sporting some new bruises. Sometime during their fight Gray had lost his clothes, which was normal, but when he realized Natsu was naked as well he started laughing.

"Looks like I'm not the only stripper now, you exhibitionist." He said, laughing more as Natsu covered himself and found his boxers.

"Shut up, it's only because I have your memories. I guess it's a habit now."

"Now you know how I feel. It's not that bad though." Gray said, handing Natsu a plate to dry.

"The guild's going to freak out. Now that we have each other's magic, we're even more powerful, which means we might destroy everything when we fight." Natsu said, drying the plate and setting it aside to be put away. They had a good system going, Gray would wash the dishes and Natsu would dry them. Then they would both put everything away. Natsu still wished he could just eat, but figured this was a fast way to clean up. Gray obviously knew what he was doing. The ice-mage always kept his house spotless.

"Erza would kill us." Gray said, thinking about the guild and how they would react to..everything. "Have you thought about what they're going to say? About us, I mean."

"I'm sure they'll be pretty surprised, but you know them. By the end of the day we'll be partying and they'll be happy for us. We are technically saving their lives, how could they not be happy?"

"Yeah, but.." Gray began, wondering how he should phrase this. It was an uncomfortable question, but needed to be addressed. "What are we, exactly? What do we tell them when we get home?"

"Well..we're okay, aren't we? You're not..mad?" Natsu asked, glad that Gray had brought it up first.

"Mad? Why would I be mad? We did what we were supposed to. I'm not too happy that I bottomed, but at least it's over with."

"Yeah..I guess so. But we're still not done." Natsu said, trying not to feel hurt by Gray's words. It's not like he expected the ice-mage to feel any different, so why did it hurt so much?

"Do you think we can do it? Fall in love, that is. I mean we're both straight, though I guess after last night that's not entirely true. But I still like girls and so do you. So how can we really complete this mission?" Gray said, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. They had never really talked about falling in love like this before. Gray really didn't plan on loving anyone, mission be damned. But what choice did he have?

"I dunno, but somehow it's going to work. I don't expect you to love me after this is all over, but for the next few days, we have to make it work."

"You sound like it's so easy." Gray said, finding Natsu's behavior odd. It sounded like Natsu already loved him, but that couldn't be true._ How could he love me already? Or at all, for that matter? All we've done is have sex. Then again, it was his first time. That's usually a big deal and it's pretty easy to love someone that you gave your virginity to._

"I-It's not! Of course not, I'm just saying we have to for this mission, or at least make it look like we're in love. Then we can go back to normal. I was just worried you hated me now."

"No, I don't hate you. I was kinda worried too. This whole time I've been thinking having sex would ruin our friendship, but I think we're still okay. I don't feel any different, at least. Do you?"

"N-no..I feel the same." Natsu lied, knowing this would never work. Something had changed, but apparently it was one-sided. Gray gave him a suspicious look, and for a second Natsu thought he was caught, but then Gray looked away and shrugged. Natsu mentally sighed in relief. He would have to be more careful.

"Well, we should probably put these dishes away. Then we can eat. You're still hungry right?" Gray asked, deciding to change the subject. He knew Natsu was acting weird, but wasn't sure why. He didn't want to believe the flaming idiot had actually fallen in love with him.

"Yeah..I'm starving." Natsu said, though that was a lie too. He had lost his appetite. How was he supposed to deal with this? He had feelings for Gray, that was certain, but they were unrequited. Gray would never love him. He was very clearly straight and already had issues with love. Natsu had always been more open minded about everything, and had a big heart. He was open to love, whereas Gray hid behind his icy walls, covering his heart with an impenetrable shell.

But Natsu wasn't one to give up. He would melt the ice surrounding Gray's heart, not only to complete this mission and save the world, but to also love Gray and have the boy love him back. Gray would be his, he just needed to try harder.

Little did he know Gray was hiding a few things himself.

* * *

**Yeah..I ended it there to be a troll. We'll see Gray's POV in the next chapter and then shits gonna get real. This was a shorter chapter, because I kinda ran out of ideas. Hopefully I think of some more soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Your aim is off."

Natsu glared at him, hands still poised in an ice make position. His squinty eyes were full of determination. He would master Gray's magic if it was the last thing he did. They had already been out here for hours, practicing over and over until some kind of progress was made. Last night during dinner they had discussed how strong Behemoth might be and came to the conclusion that they needed to be completely used to each other's magic. If the demon did break free, they would obviously have to fight it. Natsu didn't like the idea because it sounded like Gray had given up on falling in love. The ice mage seemed fully determined that they would fail, and Behemoth would break free. It hurt Natsu, but he went along with Gray's training plan to cover it up. He honestly did want to learn ice make anyways. It made him feel closer to Gray, something he's been craving an awful lot lately.

"Shut up, aiming with ice is hard." Natsu defended, forming another ice lance in his hand and throwing it towards Gray. In turn, Gray shot a stream of fire at Natsu, and this time the two opposing forces collided. The two watched as the fire melted the lance, resulting in steam rising into the air.

"That was better. I think we're making pretty good progress, considering the little amount of training we've had." Gray said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His shirt had disappeared hours ago.

"Yeah well, the whole memory thing helped a lot. Without that, I don't think we would have been able to learn each other's magic so easily. But we do still need to work on it. You can't do any secret arts yet." Natsu said, trying not to stare too much at Gray's naked torso. He hoped he wasn't blushing too much. _Stupid stripper!_

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to do those, Natsu. It took you _years_ to learn them, and you're better at dragon slayer magic than I am."

"What was that? Did I just hear you say I'm better at something?" Natsu said with a grin, dodging a well-aimed fireball. "But give yourself some credit, you're pretty good for a beginner."

"Natsu Dragneel just complemented me, the world really is doomed." Gray said, laughing as Natsu threw a snowball at his head. Natsu tried to act normal, but couldn't help but feel bothered by what Gray said._ The world really is doomed? So he does think we won't make it. Dammit Gray..is it really that hard to at least _try_ to love me?_

"Shut up, flaming exhibitionist."

"Oh, so I'm flaming now? Alright, Popsicle pyro."

"Fire princess."

"Ice spewer."

"Ice doesn't come out of my mouth, stupid!"

The two continued arguing all the way back inside of the house, trying to come up with new insults and laughing at the stupidest ones. Natsu couldn't help but wonder why they were getting along. Well, they still argued, but everything felt different. He felt more comfortable around Gray, and it seemed like Gray felt the same way. It gave Natsu hope that maybe Gray was starting to like him too, and the idiot was just being stubborn about it. He really wanted that to be true. It constantly surprised Natsu how much he really loved Gray. It all happened so fast, but he supposed it was meant to be that way. They had been told this entire time that things would be rushed, and for a good reason. But Natsu never believed he would actually fall for the ice block. Yet having an unrequited love was painful. Just looking at Gray made his heart race, everything from his droopy eyes to his amazingly toned body. He wanted Gray more than anything else, but he wasn't sure if that would ever happen.

Natsu was by no means a negative person. Part of him believed they would end up together. They would fall in love, seal the demon and save the world. Then they would return to Fairy Tail and have a party, where everyone would congratulate them on a successful mission. Natsu would blurt out that he and Gray were an item, Gray would probably get embarrassed, and then the party would get even bigger. Fairy Tail would definitely want to celebrate for them, they were family after all and very accepting. Then they would go back to Gray's apartment and have the best sex ever.

Natsu wanted to believe that would happen, yet some dark, nagging voice in the back of his head told him that was ridiculous. Happy endings like that didn't exist, and Gray would never love him. _Gray is straight, he's slept around with girls and has no interest in guys, much less in love. Gray has too many issues._ He would never love anyone, especially Natsu. They would fail this mission and have to fight Behemoth, and even that might fail. People could die, including them. Then Behemoth would go around killing everyone until nothing was left. The world would end.

"Oi, you okay ice brain?" Gray asked, snapping Natsu out of his depressing train of thought. The fire mage blinked, noticing the faint stinging in his eyes. He blamed it on not blinking for so long. Natsu Dragneel didn't cry because of some sad idea! He stayed positive and made sure those ideas didn't happen!

"I'm fine, stupid droopy eyed—" Natsu had to pause and make sure he was seeing right, rubbing his eyes for good measure. Was this real? Could he really be seeing right?

"What?" Gray asked, wondering if there was something on his face. Natsu was looking at him like he sprouted a second head.

"Wah! Y-Your eyes!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing a finger at said eyes. Now Gray was getting worried.

"What's wrong with them?" He asked, touching around his eyes to make sure nothing was wrong. Everything felt fine. Was he going blind? No, he could see perfectly. _What the hell is going on?!_

"They look like mine! They're all..you know.." Natsu began making wild gestures with his hands, not quite sure how to put into words what he wanted to say. Gray's eyes did indeed look different though. The pupils were narrow, like a reptiles. _Like a dragons._

"Like what?! Dammit, let me go look." Gray said, rushing to the bathroom to look in the mirror. What he saw made him gasp. When did his eyes change? Was it because he knew dragon slayer magic?

"My eyes..my teeth!" He yelped, slapping a hand over his mouth in shock. Had he seen right? "Don't tell me.." He muttered, opening his mouth and pulling his upper lip away. Just as he thought, his canines were sharper like Natsu's. He had inherited the typical dragon slayer attributes.

"This can't be happening." He whispered, feeling as though the world around him was falling apart. It was like a dam overflowing in his head, the straw the broke the camel's back. Everything that he's been carefully bottling up inside has broken free, running rampant inside. All of the unwanted thoughts and doubts, all of the denial, everything that he's been too stubborn to acknowledge.

He now had something of Natsu's, something that would stay with him forever. He was connected to someone _so personally_ by knowing their magic and sharing unique features. It felt wrong. He wasn't supposed to be close to anyone, not like this.

He wasn't supposed to..develop feelings.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't help but feel different towards Natsu.

Gray wasn't sure when it happened, sometime in the forest when they had to find the bracelets. Not being able to see and having to rely on Natsu so much really made Gray think. Natsu was reliable and strong, a true friend. He would protect his nakama no matter what. Even when they were hanging on to their lives,_ literally_, Natsu pulled through and saved him. Near death experiences really were life changing. From that point on he couldn't help looking at Natsu differently. It only got worse when all of Natsu's memories flooded into his mind. He realized that they weren't so different. He felt closer than ever with Natsu, and that's when he started going into denial.

While learning dragon slaying magic, he had to constantly remind himself that he didn't want love. He wasn't ready. But seeing Natsu use his magic, the same magic that Ur taught him, made his chest swell with pride. He loved being so close with someone after years of loneliness. But it also scared him. Would Natsu die now that he loved him? The idea was ridiculous, Natsu was incapable of dying. But he had thought the same thing about Ur.

"Gray? You okay in there?" Natsu called out, wondering why Gray was taking so long. Hearing the fire mages voice made Gray jump, his heart suddenly feeling like it would explode. He belatedly realized he was crying. _Pull yourself together, idiot!_

"F-fine!" He cursed himself for stuttering, "I'll be right there!"

"Hurry up, I have to brush my teeth." Natsu said, an odd feeling settling in his stomach. Gray sounded nervous, and there was a distinct scent floating around. It was a smell Natsu was used to after years of fighting. The smell of fear. Gray was scared, but why? _Because of his eyes? Does he hate it? Is it so bad to have something of mine?_ Natsu suddenly felt angry. He hated feeling sad, and knowing that Gray wasn't happy definitely made him sad._ Why am I unlovable? Igneel, Lisanna, and now Gray too?_

"There, I'm done." Gray said, opening the door to reveal a rather upset looking Natsu. His eyes were shadowed by his salmon bangs, but Gray could practically feel the anger. It was so tangible he could smell it. "Natsu?"

"_Yeah_?" Natsu nearly growled, daring to look at Gray who seemed uncertain. Natsu could tell that he had been crying, though he tried to cover it up. _He tries to cover up everything and I'm sick of it. I'm tired of feeling this way! Why can't he just love me already like he's supposed to?_

"Everything okay?" Gray asked, flinching as Natsu glared harder at him. The pinkette gave a sarcastic scoff, pushing past Gray and entering the bathroom.

"I could ask you the same question."

Gray froze at that, wondering why Natsu was so angry._ Does he know? Does he hate me for how I feel? I thought he liked me back..or at least it seemed that way for a moment. Did I imagine it? No, I know I saw him staring at me earlier today. And he's been acting different. Is he just trying to like me for the mission? But that doesn't explain why he's made. Ugh, what the hell is happening?_

"..Okay? What's that supposed to mean?" Gray asked, starting to become angry too. He hated playing these little games. Why couldn't Natsu just get to the point? He was usually such a direct person.

"It means your hiding something, and I'm tired of not knowing. Why did it upset you so much when you saw yourself? Do you hate it? Is sharing my magic so fucking terrible that you have to cry about it?" Natsu asked, sneering at Gray who seemed shocked. "What, you thought I wouldn't smell it? The fear was obvious enough, but tears too?"

"You don't understand." Gray said, fists clenching at his side. He really didn't want to have this conversation. How could he possibly explain all of this to Natsu when he still couldn't come to terms with it himself?

"No, I don't, so why don't you explain it to me? Stop hiding everything, Gray!"

"I don't want to explain it! It's none of your business anyways!"

"How the hell is it not my business?! It has to do with me, doesn't it?! Just tell me!" Natsu yelled, grabbing Gray by his shirt collar. The ice mage tried to push him away, but Natsu wouldn't budge. He felt trapped. He was being forced to talk about things that he didn't quite understand and didn't want to. They were things that terrified him as much as Deliora.

"No."

His vision swam as Natsu suddenly slammed him against the wall. His chest felt tight, like he couldn't breathe. His heart was beating too fast. Natsu was cornering him, and he was starting to panic. As if everything wasn't already scary, now he had an aggressive Natsu forcing him to think about feelings he'd rather keep in the dark recesses of his mind. He knew he was shaking, but was too proud and stubborn to back down.

"Tell me, or else." Natsu growled, and Gray knew that was a real threat. Natsu hardly ever got this angry, especially at him. Their fights weren't usually this serious.

"Or else what?" Gray asked, challenge evident. He wasn't scared of Natsu. He'd rather face a pissed off dragon slayer than his feelings. Natsu could punch him, kick him, whatever he wanted, but Gray wouldn't talk. He could handle a fight.

But he couldn't handle what Natsu did next.

His mouth was suddenly being smothered by Natsu's in the most dominating kiss he's ever experienced. It was angry, forceful, yet so passionate Gray didn't know how to react. It felt like Natsu poured everything into it, telling Gray it was okay, he could tell him everything and it would _be okay_. It was..loving. He didn't even realize how bad his hands were shaking until he noticed he was gripping Natsu's vest.

"Natsu, st-" He tried to protest, but Natsu wouldn't allow it. He just kept kissing him, pulling Gray closer until he couldn't breathe._ What's happening?_ Gray wondered, feeling his eyes sting again. The bathroom was getting blurry.

"Natsu-"

"No, Gray. You stop. Stop running already and fucking accept it. You always say I'm dense, calling me oblivious, but look at yourself! You're the dense one, idiot!" Natsu yelled, grabbing Gray by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. He felt a pang of guilt when he saw the tears Gray was trying to hold back, but this needed to be done. They were almost out of time.

"I don't.." Gray muttered, yet that's all he could say. He was speechless.

"You do. You know how you feel, you're not stupid. You just can't accept it. Am I wrong?" Natsu asked, watching as Gray tried to form a sentence.

"I.."

"Am I? Tell me Gray, do you honestly hate me? Do you hate how you look now because of me? Or are you just in denial?" Natsu asked, his sudden burst of confidence dwindling. He had been so sure of himself, though he didn't know why. He just wanted to believe Gray was in denial so badly. But he may have been wrong.

_I don't hate you,_ Gray wanted to say, yet he couldn't get the words out. He felt like he was falling into a dark pit and there was no way out. It was all too much. He managed to shake his head no, but it wasn't enough.

"No? No what?"

He shook his head again. Natsu stood abruptly, feeling like his heart had just split in two. Gray was saying no, he didn't love him, he wasn't in denial. In Natsu's eyes, he had just made a mistake.

"I'm sorry." Natsu whispered, vision blurring as he ran out of the bathroom, out of the house and into the forest. Gray watched him go, tears falling onto the cold tile.

"Wait.." He said, though it was too late. Why couldn't he just say it? Why couldn't he tell Natsu the truth?

"Idiot!" He yelled, fist slamming into the wall behind him and creating a hole. He had to find Natsu and make everything right. He had to tell him the truth! Gray quickly ran outside, stopping as the sky around him shimmered. It was the barrier, but why?

"The only reason it would do that is if..they were taking it down. But it hasn't been three days yet. What are they doing?" He wondered, eyes widening as the ground beneath him began to shake. "Don't tell me.."

"Master Gray!" It was Renzou, running as fast as his old bones would allow. Gray felt an icy fear shoot down his spine. "It's the seal! It's broken!"

"What?" He breathed, "It's too early!"

"Behemoth has broken the seal sooner than expected, we have to hurry! Where is Master Natsu?"

Gray clenched his teeth, regret washing over him tenfold. Of all the times, it had to be now.

"Don't worry about him, I'm sure he's figured it out. We have to go back."

"But, he needs to be there too!"

"He'll meet us there, let's go!"

_This is bad,_ Natsu thought as he rushed to the temple, _How are we supposed to seal this thing? We aren't in love. Or at least, he's not. Guess we're going to fight it after all. Damn..how are we going to do that?!_

* * *

**Yeah..this took a while. I haven't been feeling well lately so finishing this was kind of hard. Even right now I feel like puking. But at least it's done. As you can see, Gray's terrible with words and Natsu takes things the wrong way. But don't worry, they'll figure some things out next chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11

The only word that could _begin_ to describe the temple that night was chaos. A fire had broken out from the sheer force of Behemoth's power, sections of the building had fallen apart from the earth quake which had also cracked parts of the ground, and the monks were running around frantically, trying to figure out if they should leave the temple that had been their home for years, or run for their lives. In the center of it all was the courtyard where Shiro and Kasai were, using their magic as an attempt to stall for time. But it wasn't enough, and soon it would be too late. The statue was now serving as a portal for the demon to enter Earthland, the seal completely broken in two. An ominous black aura surrounded it, causing the air to seem distorted. It was a sign of the apocalypse. Behemoth had gotten far more powerful than a century ago.

"Where are they? At this rate the demon will break free and we'll be doomed!" Shiro asked, strain evident in his voice. Using so much magic all at once was exhausting, and at his age, he just didn't have it in him. Kasai wasn't doing much better.

"They'll be here, just have faith. None of us were expecting this." Erza said, standing behind the two with Lucy. Unlike Erza, Lucy was beginning to panic. She had a feeling something terrible was about to happen, besides the whole_ demon being unleashed_ thing. That feeling increased when Natsu came running towards them _alone_.

"Natsu!" She cried, taking note of her friends distressed state. She knew him well, and could see that there was something else going on. Plus, where the hell was Gray?

"Where is Gray?" Erza asked, voicing Lucy's and everyone else's thoughts. Natsu looked away, as if hearing the boy's name hurt. That wasn't a reassuring sign.

"I'm sure he's on his way." Was all he said, being oddly quiet. Lucy gave him a worried look, wondering what happened between her two friends. It wasn't like Natsu to be so sullen, especially in a time of crisis. Usually he would be all fired up and want to fight whatever the threat may be, no matter how dangerous. She couldn't help but wonder what happened during the past few days. Did they fall in love? Were they fighting? Were they still friends? What would happen to team Natsu now? Would they even be able to seal Behemoth?

"Natsu, we need to know right now if you were able to complete the ritual." Erza said, giving Natsu a firm look. She felt bad for her friend and hated seeing him like this, but they had no time to wait.

"..No, we weren't." Natsu replied hesitantly, looking even more pained. Lucy gasped at this, while Erza clenched her fists. They would need to prepare for the worst now.

"You need to get everyone out of here. We need to start evacuating any nearby civilians. We'll stay and do what we can." Erza said, turning to face Shiro and Kasai who were still pouring their magic into the portal. They already looked exhausted.

"It doesn't matter what you do now, there is no other way to stop Behemoth. Our magic will hold him off for a short while. I suggest you leave while you still can." Kasai said solemnly, gripping Shiro's free hand tighter.

"We won't abandon you like this!" Lucy shouted, eyes watering at the two's dedication. They were willing to die together protecting the land for as long as possible. "We're Fairy Tail, and we promised we would help you! We won't go back on our word!"

"Lucy's right, we're staying. If anyone can defeat this demon, it would be us." Erza agreed, tightening her grip on her sword.

"You can't possibly be planning to fight him! He'll kill you within the first second, it's useless to even try! We need an impossibly strong bond of opposing magic, and we don't have that!" Shiro replied, wincing as the strain became stronger. At this rate they would only have a few more minutes until their magic reached its limits.

"Actually, you do." A new voice said, causing everyone to look behind them where Renzou and Gray had just entered the courtyard. Natsu froze at hearing Gray's voice, and then his brow furrowed in confusion. What was Gray talking about?

"But Natsu said that the ritual wasn't completed." Lucy said, noticing how tense Natsu looked._ Yep, they definitely had some sort of fight._

"Well, he lied. The ritual was completed successfully." Gray replied calmly, regarding Natsu with an even look. The fire mage was suddenly angry.

"_I_ lied? Where do you get off calling _me_ a liar, huh?" Natsu growled, wondering what the hell Gray was talking about. After all, he had made it quite clear that he didn't love Natsu.

"Well, you didn't give me enough time earlier to explain myself. Had you calmed down and gave me a few minutes to process everything, I could have told you the truth." Gray said, slowly walking towards Natsu who was now even more confused. _What's he saying? I don't understand._

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"That I love you." Gray replied without missing a beat. Natsu was pretty sure his heart stopped beating at hearing this. _What..?_

"But you..back there, you wouldn't.."

"Natsu, I had just barely started to accept what was going on. I needed time to fully process it, but you decided to come in and start throwing a fit. I wasn't disgusted with how I looked, and I didn't hate you for it. In fact, I never hated you." Gray said, now only a few feet away from the dragon slayer. Natsu had the decency to blush. _I didn't throw a fit!_

"But..you were crying and..and.."

"You of all people should know that I'm terrified of love. I didn't _want_ to love you, because I don't want you to die. Ironically, I've put you and everyone else in a position where that might happen. I'm sorry for hurting you Natsu." Gray said, offering the shocked pinkette a smile.

"If what you say is true, then there is still hope. You must hurry and reseal the demon." Kasai said, looking rather relieved that he wouldn't have to die now. Gray nodded before looking back at Natsu, who still looked confused. So he did the only thing that would fully convince the dense idiot. He returned the kiss Natsu gave him in the bathroom, something he should have done in the first place.

"I love you, okay? I swear. Now come on, we have to do this." He whispered, heart swelling at the bright smile he got in return. It felt so much better to see Natsu smile like that, like everything was back to normal. But they still had a job to do.

"Yeah, let's do this! I'm all fired up!" Natsu said, walking over to the statue and then pausing, looking more confused than before. "Uhh..What are we supposed to do?"

"You and Gray must join hands and use the magic you recently learned to close the seal." Kasai instructed, watching as the two stood side by side and held hands. "Direct your free hand towards the seal. Then use all of your strength to pour magic into the portal. If you are truly in love, it will begin to close."

"So I have to use Gray's magic and he has to use mine?" Natsu asked, furrowing his brows as he focused on sending a constant stream of ice towards the black emptiness of the portal. Shiro nodded, watching in astonishment as fire shot out of Gray's hand, as well as ice from Natsu's. _They have come so far in such little time. Such an amazing sight to behold, but now isn't the time to enjoy it. We are still unsure if they both truly love each other. Another day would have benefitted all of us, but Behemoth has become stronger. That alone is a troubling thought. Will their magic even be enough to seal him away, given that they are actually in love_? Shiro wondered, watching in collective silence with the others as their magic began to mix together.

"That's a good sign." Kasai muttered, feeling just as doubtful as Shiro.

"It is indeed. But mixing is only the beginning, the two flows of power need to grow larger, gathering strength until it overpowers Behemoth. The strength of the magic reflects the strength of their love. That is why the ritual is necessary. If the two aren't in love, then the bond isn't strong enough, and the two opposing magic forces won't mix and grow stronger." Shiro replied, eyes focused on the blue and orange swirls of magic.

"How long is this supposed to take anyways? Nothing's happening." Gray asked, eyes never leaving the portal. It looked like some bottomless, dark space, and quite frankly gave him the creeps. He felt like something would just pop out at him at any second.

"Don't let your guard down. Just focus on pouring as much magic in as possible, and if we're lucky, nothing will happen. That is a good sign." Kasai answered, eyes widening slightly as the boy's magic grew ever so slightly, and the different colored swirls became less prominent. The blue and orange were starting to look more violet, and were emitting a bright light.

"Perhaps they are in love after all." Shiro said, amazed that the two managed such a feat in a shortened period of time.

"Well, we somehow managed, and many before us have as well. These two were just meant to be together." Kasai replied. Lucy had to smile at that._ If only they knew how these two usually acted around each other. The last thing any of us would ever think is that they were meant to be together. But I'm happy for them, and seeing them all lovey dovey is pretty cute._

The moment of peace abruptly ended when the black aura surrounding the portal started growing and whipping around like vines. Gray clenched his jaw as he felt himself grow tired, as if he were running out of energy. The demon was fighting back now, and he wanted everyone to know it.

"Is this normal?!" Natsu yelled, watching in horror as the portal actually started to get bigger. The little circle that had once been the seal had completely vanished, and the statue itself was sure to follow.

"You need to use more magic, it's not enough!"

"I'm using as much as I can! Shit, this is bad!" Natsu shouted, looking at Gray who was staring at the portal with wide, fear filled eyes. It was then that Natsu noticed the gleaming red slits that were staring back at them. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"It's c-coming.." Gray breathed, trying in vain to control his rapidly beating heart. Flashbacks of Deliora haunted his mind, and soon he began hyperventilating. The destroyed buildings, the screams of terror, his family and friends dying before his eyes. It was all going to happen again!

"GRAY!" Natsu screamed, breaking the ice mage from his thoughts. "We won't let this thing break free, okay?_ I_ won't let it. This won't be like _that_ time, so stop freaking out and focus! We have to protect everyone!"

"You're right." He nodded, taking a deep breath and pushing even more magic out, ignoring the strain it put on his body and mind. He wouldn't let another demon ruin his life. Natsu was here to make him happy, and the last thing Gray would do is let that disappear. _I'm stronger now, I can beat this! It's not like before!_

There was a flash of razor sharp teeth as Behemoth roared, stubbornly pushing his way closer and closer to freedom. The violet blast of magic wasn't enough to hold him back. Gray racked his brain for a solution, wondering how they could strengthen the bond even more._ If our love reflects how strong the magic is, then.._

"Natsu, you believe me when I say I love you, right?" He asked, looking over at the teen who was struggling just as much as Gray.

"Y-yeah, why?" Natsu asked in return, wondering where this was going. He did believe Gray, but..it was a little too good to be true._ Maybe I'm having a hard time accepting it? I mean, I was pretty sure he hated me less than an hour ago._

"Because..I know I acted like an idiot, but I was terrified of admitting it out loud. I had just accepted it in my head and then you came in demanding I_ say_ it to you! But that's not a good enough reason for me to hurt you. I really am sorry, and I promise when this is over, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you. But right now you have to believe me! I love you, Natsu!"

"Gray..I love you too. I really do!"

"Then let's beat this stupid demon, so we can actually have a future together." Gray said, resisting the urge to laugh at the watery smile Natsu gave him. _Heh, big softie._

The two screamed as they gave everything they had and hurled it at Behemoth, the stream of magic becoming bigger and brighter until everything exploded into blinding white.

And then the world went black.

* * *

It took a moment for Natsu's hearing to come back, the annoying high pitched whistle slowly dying out. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light in the room. The sun had to just barely be coming up. He blinked, registering that he was in a bedroom and everything was still, so much that he wondered if it was a dream. Hadn't he just been in the center of a disaster? Everything was so quiet and calm now. He tried to sit up but pain erupted through his entire body. He then wondered where Gray was, if he was okay, and if they had sealed Behemoth.

"Gray?" He called weakly, voice somewhat raspy. He received a tired groan in response. "Oh thank Mavis, you're okay."

"Am I? Because I feel like shit. What the hell happened?" Gray asked from his bed, not faring any better than Natsu. They were both in two separate beds, lying prone on their backs and covered in bandages.

"Dunno. I'm pretty sure we did it, unless this is heaven."

"Heaven wouldn't be this painful, so yeah, we did it. We must have passed out from the strain. Damn..I'm glad that's over with." Gray sighed, smiling despite the state he was in. At least they were alive and the demon was sealed away for another hundred years.

"Me too. But..what now? We still have to somehow make it home, and I don't see that happening any time soon. We can't even move."

"Good question. We'll have to ask those old geezers, wherever the hell they are."

"We're right here, actually." Kasai said, eyebrow twitching at being called a geezer. The boys jumped at the sudden voice, and Gray started sputtering apologies for the insult. Shiro couldn't help but laugh at their antics.

"You're lucky you just saved us all." The elderly ice mage said, stepping aside so Lucy and Erza could enter the room. Both looked relieved to see their friends awake.

"Thank Mavis you're both okay! We were so worried!" Lucy said, watching as Happy flew over to Natsu and began sobbing into his scarf.

"Don't ever scare me like that again Natsu!" He wailed, nearly choking Natsu with his furry little arms. "I thought you died!"

"Sorry buddy, but you know I would never die." Natsu smiled, patting his friends head fondly. It felt good to have his cat close to him again.

"Now to answer your question, you may leave as soon as you're able. Your belongings are packed and waiting by the entrance, as well as your reward." Kasai said, still looking somewhat miffed.

"How exactly are we going to get to the train station? It was nearly impossible getting here the first time, and we weren't injured." Gray asked, not even wanting to think about going through that trip again.

"Oh, we gave Miss Erza here a map. There is a trail which has far less obstacles and leads right to the station. You should get there in about a day. Actually, we gave your Master the same map, but it appears he didn't give it to you. I wonder why?"

"That bastard!" Natsu yelled, practically flying out of his bed and spewing flames. "I'll beat the crap out of him as soon as we get home! Let's go already!"

"Natsu, be careful! Both of you should take today to rest!"

"There's no time to rest Lucy, I have to beat Gramps up right now!"

"Aye!"

_He's back to normal,_ Gray thought with a smile,_ that's good. I like seeing him like this. Now that this mission is over, will we stay together? I..don't want that. I don't want to pretend like this never happened, and I'm sure he doesn't either. We've come a long way.._

Natsu looked at Gray, noticing the way he was being watched. Gray looked so happy, and that made Natsu happy too. The two smiled at each other, ready to go home and start having a normal relationship that wasn't so stressful.

_This is just the beginning, isn't it Natsu?_

* * *

**Finally, this chapter is done! It only took two days to write, but it feels so much longer. Funny thing, I always forget about Happy. It hit me at the last minute, and I remembered to put him in the story, even for just a little bit. Hehe ^^ But anyways, the climax of this story has finally come and gone. But if you think it's over, you're wrong! Just like Gray said, it's only the beginning. There's still so much left to see! How will the guild react? How will Natsu and Gray act around each other now? What about the rest of the smut? Will Juvia kill Natsu? Possibly!**

**But seriously though, I'm not ending it here. I've gotten so much feedback, and I'm hoping to get to 100 reviews for the first time ever. I just have to keep making more chapters! You guys deserve it for being so awesome anyways. I'm always trying to improve my writing, so I really appreciate the reviews. If there's something you want me to include in the future, just tell me and I'll see what I can do. I'll probably be needing some ideas anyways XD**


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